The Wandering Tactician
by patattack
Summary: Fire Emblem 7 The Blazing Sword told mostly from the point of view of the Tactician Elayna. Current chapter: Eliwood and co. come to Caelin's rescue.
1. Prologue: A Girl from the Plains

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem, Nintendo does, I think.

Author's note: Previously, this chapter was like the same one in "The Fourth Tale, but now that I've changed things up a bit, I can safely say that it's no longer quite the same.

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By Patattack

**Prologue: A Girl from the Plains**

Elayna was starting to regret leaving in such a hurry. She had been travelling on foot for eight days and had recently entered the plains of Sacae. Her food had run out in the morning, while she'd drank the last of her water the day before. She berated herself for not having thought about bringing more provisions with her. "I can't believe I was so stupid that I didn't bring more water," she muttered to herself, feeling a little light-headed. "I should've brought more fruit to keep myself hydrated, but I just had to turn away from that stupid greedy merchant and his exorbitant prices. Or I could have just stolen what I needed and run off before he'd even blinked, but I somehow didn't think about that option either."

Despite her thirst, the heat and her hunger, Elayna willed herself to keep moving, to put one foot in front of the other, hoping that she'd come across a body of water, shade, or a nomad who'd be willing to help. "With my luck, I'll probably end up running into a group of bandits."

An hour later, after trudging along at a slow pace and grumbling all the way, Elayna finally reached a small stream with a few trees nearby. "Sweet Elimine be praised, water and shade at last!" Elayna exclaimed, rushing towards the stream to drink and then fill up her water skin. However, while she was still kneeling down, she just so happened to hear the sound of footsteps close behind.

"No need to be too hasty," a burly looking man said as she jumped to her feet and spun around, swaying a little from dizziness. He was accompanied by two other men, with all three of them carrying a large axe, and dressed in a manner that screamed 'bandit'. "Just hand over all your gold and valuables, and we'll let you go free."

'I must really be out of it if I couldn't notice them before they were this close,' Elayna thought to herself. "How do I know you'll really let me go if I do as you say?"

"The less you resist, the softer we'll be on you," the apparent leader said.

The young woman grabbed her water skin and took another gulp, then gave a small nod, at which one of he stepped forward. Just as he stood before her, she spat her mouthful of water into his face, then quickly followed up by kicking him in between the legs as hard as she could. While he groaned in pain and grabbed his ruined manhood, Elayna threw a pair of daggers, catching one of the grunts in the leg, and the other in the arm, and ran away as fast as she could. Fortunately, even when they came around and tried to chase after her, she had enough of a lead on them that they gave up after a brief moment, letting her run off into the distance. "Damn you Elimine, and your twisted sense of humor," Elayna whined after having run enough so that her pursuers were no longer in sight. "Now, if only I could find another spot of shade," she muttered. However, as she started walking again, she was struck by another wave of dizziness and stumbled over a hill, rolling down the slope until she came to a stop at the bottom, where she fell unconscious.

* * *

When Elayna finally awoke, she found herself staring at the roof of a hut fashioned from some animal hide. As she was coming to her senses, she realized that she was feeling better than before, albeit somewhat pained from her tumble down the hill. "Are you awake?" A soft voice said near her.

Elayna sat straight up and tried to jump up off the bed she was lying on, only to fail and fall flat on the ground. The one who had spoken was a young woman about 18 years of age, with blue eyes as well as long green hair that went down her back in the same way her own did. She wore a blue tunic-skirt, with an opening in the sides of the tunic part to give easier movement. She laughed a little, apparently amused at Elayna's reaction. "Well, I guess that answers that question," the girl said, helping Elayna sit up onto the bed. "My name is Lyn of the Lorca tribe. I found you unconscious on the plains and brought you back here. You still have a few bruises, but they're not too bad, and you've recovered well from the heat."

"Thank you, Lyn. I am in your debt for saving me."

"Don't worry, about that," she said reassuringly. "But would you mind telling me your name?"

"Of course not. My name is Elayna.

"A bit of an unusual name," Lyn remarked.

"It's the name my parents gave me at birth," Elayna said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. It's not a bad name either. So, how did you end up in the middle of the plains of Sacae?"

"Travelling with too little thought in regards to the conditions is what landed me here," she answered. "Well, that plus running away and falling down a hill after being accosted by thugs."

At that time, the sound of loud, raucous laughter was heard from somewhere outside, prompting Lyn to excuse herself and leave to see what the cause of it was. Elayna saw her pack on the ground and went to see what she had left, taking out a darkish green cloak which she put around her back. As she was perusing the remaining contents, Lyn came back in the tent. "Bandits. They must have come down from the Bern Mountains. They're probably planning on raiding one of the local villages. I…I have to stop them. There are only three of them, so I should be able to handle them myself. Stay in the tent Elayna, you'll be safe here."

Elayna shook her head. "I can't just stay here while you risk your life. I have to repay you somehow and helping you fight those bandits is the best way I have right now."

"No offense Elayna, but you hardly seem like much of a fighter," Lyn said as she grabbed her sword. "Can you wield a weapon of some kind?"

"I have training in stealth, knives and unarmed combat, but my better skills lie in spotting and exploiting enemy weaknesses, formulating strategies and the like. I have more training in that field."

"I see… So you're a strategist by trade? A bit of an odd profession… but I guess I could still use your help. Come on then."

Elayna nodded and followed Lyn out of the tent, Lyn unsheathing her sword as they hid behind a couple of bushes. Elayna saw one bandit at a good distance away, standing in front of a nomadic hut, or ger, as it was called, while another two were closer to them, lounging around a small cluster of trees. She also noticed that they were the same ones who had accosted her before, and that each of the grunts was carrying one of her knives at their belts.

"It looks like those three are the only ones around, but I'd still advise caution," Elayna whispered. "You should try to catch them by surprise and kill off the grunts before going after the leader. Kill the first quickly, preferably a stab to the heart, then go for the other one."

"Understood," Lyn said, creeping out from their hiding place towards the two bandits. As she was sneaking towards them, she found that Elayna was nowhere in sight, but set this to the back of her mind, concentrating on her task. One of the grunts happened to notice her just as she was coming up behind his companion, but didn't even have time to shout a warning before Lyn's blade was plunged into his heart, sticking out through his chest. He gripped his axe in two hands and went to charge towards Lyn as she pulled her blade free and stood to face him. And although he managed to land a cut on the Sacaean swordswoman's arm, she proved to be faster and killed him without much difficulty.

"I am Batta the Beast!" the bandit leader shouted as Lyn went on to challenge him after taking a short moment to treat her wound with a vulnerary. "You're a fool if you think you can stand up to me, little girl!" Batta sprang forward, aiming a powerful blow at Lyn, who ducked underneath it and quickly slashed him in the arm. Despite the small cut, he charged at her again, missing one swing, and another, but hit Lyn's sword with a jarring blow on the third, followed up by a nasty backhand. "So long, girl," Batta said. However, a pair of knives thrown by Elayna took him in each hand, causing him to drop his weapon. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lyn lunged forward and sliced her sword across his stomach. The bandit made nary a sound as his blood and innards fell to the ground, before he himself fell face-down, dead.

"Stealth and knives," Elayna said to Lyn as she retrieved the daggers she'd gotten back from the dead grunts.

Both Lyn and then began to drag the corpses into a pile, the dead bandits' weight making this no easy task for the two women. After doing so, they started taking dry branches from the nearby trees and on the ground and pilling them on top of the brigands' bodies. "So Elayna, would you mind telling me now where you're from? Or what brings you to Sacae?"

"I was born in Bern, and live in the capital most of my life so far. I had often dreamed of travelling since a young age, and when I was 14, I started to travel around the country. After almost two years, I had decided that I had seen enough of Bern for a while and wanted to go to Sacae. Unfortunately, I hadn't given sufficient thought to packing supplies, resulting in my passing out on the plains."

Shortly after, they had managed to set up a pyre and had a fire lit. Elayna muttered a short prayer as she watched the flames consume the bandits' corpses. "May Elimine watch over your souls. Where ever they may go, be it heaven of hell."

When she turned around, she noticed Lyn's frown. "Why do you even bother? They're nothing more than bandits."

Elayna answered in a calm voice. "As vile as they may be, fact remains that they were human. And while I have no regrets about helping you kill them, the death of anyone is hardly something to celebrate. I assure you, I've seen people evil enough to make bandits like these seem tame in comparison. Don't mistake me, I have no love of bandits, and wouldn't hesitate to kill them myself if I had to, yet you must show respect for all life. You should not take death lightly, or life for that matter."

Lyn's scowl dropped slightly. "On the plains, we respect our enemies, but bandits show none to those they kill."

"Would you lower yourself to their level? Have you never heard the saying 'two wrongs don't make a right'?"

"You're right," Lyn said, her expression softening up.

"Good, now how about some sleep," Elayna proposed. "I'm feeling awfully tired, now that we're done."

* * *

Elayna woke up to the sound of Lyn's voice and saw her holding two plates. "Good morning Elayna," Lyn greeted her. "The fight yesterday and your recent travels must have taken a lot out of you. It would do you good to eat some breakfast." Lyn handed her one of the plates with eggs, bread and fruit.

"Thanks Lyn" Elayna said. Remembering that she hadn't eaten in days, she suddenly felt ravenously hungry.

They sat there for a while eating silently until Lyn asked "So where do you plan on going now?"

"I don't know. I never had much more than a general sense of direction when I left. I had planned on going to Bulgar to stock up on supplies. Then after wandering around the plains for a while, maybe go to Ilia to learn more about their Pegasus knights. But beyond that I can't tell."

After finishing their breakfast, Lyn spoke up again. "Say Elayna… I want to talk to you about something."

"Sure Lyn. What is it?"

"I can see that you have some experience in the ways of war and the roads can be dangerous at times. I was wondering if you would allow me to travel with you."

Elayna pondered on this for a moment. "Should you not get permission from your parents?"

Lyn face suddenly had a look of sadness and she closed her eyes as she spoke. "My mother and my Father… they died six months ago. My people-the Lorca-they don't… I am the last of my tribe. Taliver bandits attacked and… they killed so many people. Men, women, the elderly, young, even infants. The few survivors left were scattered. My father was our chieftain and I wanted to protect our people. But I'm so young and our people old fashioned. They wouldn't follow a woman. No one would follow me." A small tear fell on her cheek. "I'm sorry. I've been alone for so long… No. No more. I will shed no more tears."

Elayna felt grief at her response as well as a great respect for the severity of her loss. Having experienced almost the same circumstances, she knew what it felt like to lose those who are most precious to you, to see your entire world crumble before you and be powerless to stop it. "I know how you feel, and I'm sorry for your loss." Elayna said, a look of true sincerity on her face.

Lyn opened her eyes. "Thank you. I'm better now." They both sat there in silence for a few minutes, neither of them saying a word.

"Elayna. I want… I must become stronger so that I can one day avenge my parents' deaths. The battle yesterday taught me something important. I won't become stronger simply sitting here alone grieving my loss. Elayna, please tell me you'll train me, that you'll let me travel with you."

Elayna was seriously thinking about this. Even though she was able to defend herself when the situation demanded it, a woman travelling alone like she did was too often seen as an easy target for people with ill intentions. Also, she much enjoyed Lyn's company and she could see quite a few similarities between herself and the Sacaean swordswoman.

Elayna nodded. "Of course, I'd be glad to have you with me"

Lyn's face beamed with happiness at hearing this. "That's wonderful. Thank you. Thank you so much. We'll be better off working together, I know it. You'll be my master strategist and I'll be your peerless warrior. We can do it right?"

"I'm sure we can."


	2. Chapter 1: Footsteps of Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem. I think Nintendo does.

Author's note: Was previously inspired by "The Fourth Tale", but now, not so much.

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By Patattack

**Chapter 1: Footsteps of Fate**

Lyn and Elayna had traveled for five days on their way to Bulgar, encountering no problems so far. Neither the tactician nor the swordfighter were in any particular rush to get to their destination. Elayna wore light green traveling robes, a pair of soft brown leather boots, had her darkish green cloak on her back and carried a dagger at each hip. She had brown eyes and long semi-dark brown hair tied together with a red band, but that fell down to the middle of her back. Her pack was strapped on her right shoulder and she held it underneath her left arm. Lyn carried her own pack on her back which contained the small collapsible tent as well as a few other things.

"You know Lyn, I must say that throughout my travels so far, I have met a number of skilled swordsmen and swordswomen, and I'm confident that you could hold your own or best many of them. Would you tell me where you learned such remarkable skills?"

"The warriors of the Lorca would teach younger people how to fight, either with a bow or the sword. I learned the basics of swordplay alongside some of my fellow tribe people. But my father taught me the largest part of what I know. He was one of the best warriors of the tribe," Lyn answered, reaching into her pack and to take out two oranges, handing one of them to Elayna.

"Thanks Lyn. You know, back in Bern I hardly ever ate oranges, since the climate was never warm enough for sufficient amounts of time to grow them. Not to mention that they were always a bit too expensive for someone like me."

"So Elayna, what was life like for you before you left?" Lyn asked as they walked along the road for a while, simply taking in the sights.

Elayna thought about how much to reveal about herself to Lyn. While she did trust her, Elayna didn't feel quite comfortable talking about certain parts of her past to others. Finally she decided to settle for telling her some of it, while leaving out other pieces. "Well, like I said before I was born in Bern, although my mother was from Etruria. She was a merchant who often did business in Sacae and Bern. My father was a mercenary of some renown. I lived a fair distance from the Bernese capital for some time, with my parents and my older brother Mark. Though we never rich, we still lived a good life. Our mother spoke fondly to us about the times that she had been to Sacae. She told us that it was a beautiful land and its people were often kind and always told the truth. Our father used to tell us stories, often about the scouring and the eight heroes. When I was younger, I would spend much time reading, whether about geography, history or even past battles. And that's pretty much my life until I left."

"Where did you learn to be stealthy?"

"I had a good friend once that knew a lot about stealth. Admittedly, he was of… slightly questionable character, but a good person nonetheless. He's the one who taught me how to hide myself, move with little noise and other such things. Sadly, he passed away before I turned 14."

"And from whom might you have learned how to master tactics like you do? I wouldn't think you could have learned so much from simply reading books."

Elayna answered with a hint more truth this time. "Correct. When Mark and I left home, we ended up with a band of mercenaries for about four years or so. Their leader was a good man who taught me everything that he knew about tactics from his personal experiences. He frequently said that I had a natural talent and after some time under his training, the other members of the band would often joke that I knew more than him. Of course, the thing that pushed me hardest to learn was actual experience in battle. Mark, who had more abilities to fight then me, was trained to be a swordsman. Most of the time we spent travelling around Bern was with the 'Emerald Eagles' was the name of their band. We left when they disbanded and my brother and I decided that we wanted to go on our own ways."

"If you and your brother left your home when you were 14, why did your parents let you go so easily?"

Elayna spoke, again bending the truth. "Our parents had travelled a lot in their younger days and knew of our thirst for adventure. Neither one of them complained when my brother and I ran off."

"It must be great to have parents that support you like that."

"Yes, yes it would." Lyn noticed that Elayna didn't quite make eye contact during their whole conversation and her face seemed to have a flash of sadness as she spoke of her parents, although it could just as well have been her imagination. Lyn couldn't help but wonder if and what Elayna was leaving out, but decided to set it aside for the time being.

* * *

A few days travel later, they arrived at Bulgar. They had planned to stock up on supplies for their journey and Elayna wanted to buy some maps since she only had a few that showed areas outside of Bern. After that, Lyn wanted to take a detour to visit a small shrine on the outskirts of Bulgar where there was a sword sacred to the people of Sacae. Elayna, as it happened, had a sizeable amount of Bernese gold crowns, small round coins that was the principal currently in Bern. She explained that she had earned it during the time she had spent as a tactician with the Emerald Eagles. Since they had arrived fairly late at night, they went to an inn, where Elayna paid for a room for the both of them, and set out the next day after breakfast to buy their supplies.

Bulgar, sitting in the middle of Sacae, at the crossroads of other nations, boasted an impressive level of activity, trade and wealth. The larger part of the city was made mostly of small clay buildings where many inns and shops could be seen. Currencies from all over Elibe could be found here, from Etrurian paper notes, to Lycian Marks and Ilian Sovereigns. However, the biggest currency of all in the city was barter. Merchandise being sold and traded for went from Bernese swords, daggers, and armor, Etrurian books, wine, jewelry, Lycian wood carvings, furniture, horses, Sacaean tea, bows, dried meat, pelts, and a multitude of other such things. As Lyn and Elayna were about to enter a shop to buy maps, they heard a voice coming from a nearby alley.

"Oh, my heart, what a dazzling vision of loveliness." Elayna and Lyn turned around and saw a man approaching them. He was wearing green armor, appeared to be a knight of some sort, and had an overjoyed look. Lyn looked at him, puzzlement visible on her face. "Wait, O fair and beauteous ones. Surely you must be goddesses descended from the heavens to bless this humble knight! Would you not favor me with your names? Or better yet your company?"

"What land might you be from that you speak so freely to strangers, sir knight?" Lyn asked, surprised and a little sickened by his behavior. Elayna snickered at this, as the knight responded.

"Your voice is as beautiful as your face. I am from Lycia. I hail from the Caelin canton, home to men of passion and fire!"

Lyn spoke, her tone slightly mocking. "Shouldn't that be 'home to callow oafs with loose tongues'?"

Elayna laughed again at seeing the knight singed by Lyn's answer. "Well said Lyn."

He seemed almost at a loss for words before replying. "Ooooh… You're even lovelier when you're cruel."

"Come on Elayna. I've got nothing more to say. Let's leave this lout to annoy someone else." Elayna agreed with Lyn and they both left him behind. The green knight looked as if he was going to follow them when he was held back by another knight, this one in red. Paying no heed to them, Elayna followed Lyn into the shop, where they got a map of Elibe, as well as a few other maps that focused on certain places. They bought food and provisions and a few other things that could come in handy. After they finished shopping here, they went around to different sections of Bulgar to stock on up any other type of supplies they might need. Finally, when they were finished, they decided to head back to the inn, where Elayna paid for another night for their room. After checking the maps and plotting their course, they agreed to go to Ilia, so Elayna could learn more about their Pegasus knights, Lyn even agreeing to present her friend who was a Pegasus Knight.

The next morning they were heading in the direction of the city's gates, Lyn wanting to go see the shrine of the Mani Katti. However, as they were walking towards it, they found the road blocked by two knights. The first being the green armored one from the previous day and his companion the red armored knight Elayna had glimpsed before entering the shop. The red knight had a serious expression on his face. "Ah, Kent! Why so severe an expression?"

"If your manner were more serious, I wouldn't have to be so severe. We still have a mission to complete Sain!"

The one called Sain waved his hand in an unconcerned way. "Lighten up Kent. It's not like we're in a rush or anything. Why don't you just have fun for once?"

The other knight, apparently called Kent, shook his head as if he couldn't believe it. "I didn't know that flirting with anything you could see that wears a skirt and continuously getting rejected was 'having fun'. Did you ever stop to ask yourself why you always get rejected?"

By this time Elayna and Lyn had gotten close enough to interrupt. Lyn spoke to Kent and determinedly ignored Sain, while Elayna chuckled quietly at this. "Excuse me! You're blocking the road. Would you be so kind as to move your horses?"

The red knight looked at Lyn. "Of course, my apologies." Kent moved his horse and looked intently as Sain until he did the same.

"Thank you. You, at least, seem honorable enough." Lyn gave him a small, respectful smile, then glared at Sain and Elayna chuckled.

Kent stared at Sain with a severe expression, having understood the silent message. He rolled his eyes at Sain, who seemed used to this kind of behavior from his companion. Then Kent looked at Lyn again with a puzzled look on his face. "Hm? Pardon me, but… have we ever met before?"

"I beg your pardon?" Lyn looked distrustfully at the red knight, unsure of how to react. Elayna however, had noticed the knight's puzzled look and could see that there was something more than what Lyn thought was happening.

"Hey. No fair, Kent! I saw her first!" The green knight protested and Lyn looked fiercely at the both of them before turning towards Elayna.

"Tsk! Let's go Elayna. It seems there are no decent men among Lycia's knights." Lyn walked straight past the knights and Elayna followed her.

As they left them behind, she heard Kent say, "Wait, please it's not… Sain, you lout!"

* * *

A short while after they had cleared the gates, the two women were moving along at a bit of a fast pace, with Lyn muttering a few choice words under her breath, most likely relating to the two knights they had just encountered. "Lyn, I realize that you're hardly in a good mood because of what those knights said earlier, but surely there's no need to travel at a breakneck speed like this," Elayna said, needing to jog to keep up with her friend.

"Sorry," Lyn apologized, slowing down to a walk. "You're right, I suppose I just let what they set get to me more than I should have."

"You know, I don't think that that red armored knight meant what you thought he did. His look of puzzlement seemed authentic, as though he'd actually seen you before and was simply trying to remember."

"However true that might be, I wasn't too keen on spending much more time around that green armored oaf either."

"True enough," Elayna nodded, reaching into her bag to pull out a map. "So, which way do we-"

"What's wr-" Lyn began, but was interrupted when her companion held up a hand, signalling for her to be quiet.

"We're not alone out here," the young tactician spoke up, looking at a particular patch of trees, from where noise could be heard, akin to that of people trying to be quiet, yet making enough sound to be perceived. True to her words, a big ruffian stepped out few feet in front of them, a large battle axe held slackly in one hand.

He gave a sinister laugh. "Heh heh hehhh… Aren't you the pretty one! Your name is Lyndis, is it not?"

Lyn's face revealed great shock at this. "What did you call me? Who are you?"

"What an absolute waste," the bandit said with a sigh. "The things I'll do for gold. Ah, well, time to die darling. C'mon out boys!"

Upon his saying this, six more bandits appeared from behind the apparent leader. "There are more of them than I can handle alone," Lyn noted, drawing her sword. "But I won't give up!"

"Hahaha, this kitten has claws," the leader remarked, laughing at this. "Even though you have to die, nobody said anything about your friend. Yes, she should fetch a good price as a slave."

The bandits went to move towards the two women, but hesitated a little when two of them were suddenly killed. One of them because of a dagger Elayna had thrown into his eye, the other when Lyn sidestepped a clumsy axe swing and cut his throat in one quick move. "The only price anyone will pay here is blood," Elayna spoke in a dead serious tone, drawing her second dagger. "And we intend to make you pay dearly."

"Get at em men!" the leader shouted. "They can't beat us all."

"Hey! There they are!" Elayna turned around to see the two knights from town galloping towards them, the green one wielding a lance, while his companion held a sword.

'The odds don't look as good now as they did a moment ago,' the bandit leader thought to himself as he and his underlings backed off.

They stopped besides Lyn and Elayna. "Whew… finally caught up…" The green knight spoke, directing his voice to all the bandits. "Hold! You there! What is your business? Such numbers against two girls? Cowards, every one of you!"

Lyn turned to address the knights. "You! You're from-"

"We can discuss this later." The red knight interrupted. "It appears that these ruffians mean to do you harm. If it's a fight they want, then let them try themselves against me."

The green one spoke up, "Stand back. I can take care of this!"

"No! This is my fight. Stay out of my way." Lyn replied fiercely.

"Lyn, don't be stupid," Elayna reprimanded her. "We need their help. You two," she addressed the knights. "I'll direct the battle, so you follow my commands. Are we clear?"

"Very much," the red armored knight stated.

* * *

Despite losing most of their advantage, with the knights' arrival and the two men Lyn and Elayna had killed at first, the bandits still decided to put up a fight, with no small amount of prodding and threats from the bandit leader. And as a result of their stupidity and lack of self-preservation, every single one of them was now dead, including the leader, who had been unable to stop Lyn's sword from slicing across his stomach. At the moment, Kent was applying a vulnerary to Sain's arm, which had received a small injury during a moment of brief carelessness from the green knight. Elayna approached Lyn who wiped her sword on the ground before sheathing it.

"Well done Lyn. That would be the last of them."

"Thanks Elayna." She turned her attention to the two knights, both having finished treating Sain's wound. She spoke to them with a frown on her face. "And now for these knights of Lycia. You were going to share your story with me?"

Kent spoke first. "Yes, we were. We have ventured from Caelin, in Lycia, in search of someone."

"Lycia… That's the country beyond the mountains of Bern in the southwest, right?" Lyn asked, intrigued.

"Correct. We've come as messengers from our lord Hausen to the Lady Madelyn, who eloped with a nomad by the name of Hassar about 19 years ago."

"Madelyn?" Lyn asked. Her frown had dropped and was replaced by shock as Kent continued speaking.

"Our lord, the Marquess of Caelin's only daughter. He was both heartbroken and furious that his daughter would abandon him like this. Eventually the Marquess declared before the entire castle that he had no daughter."

Sain took over, continuing the story. "And this year, we received a letter from the lady Madelyn. It said that she, along with her husband and their daughter were living happily on the Sacae plains. The Marquess was ecstatic when he learned that he had a granddaughter. I remember the look of joy on his face when he announced that he'd suddenly become a grandfather. The granddaughter's name is Lyndis. This was also the name of the Marquess' late wife, who died at an untimely age."

"Lyndis?" Lyn's look of shock could hardly be more apparent by this time.

"The fact that she bore this name thawed the Marquess' heart. Now his only wish is to meet his daughter's family at least once before passing away. This is the reason why we're here. We hadn't found out until two days ago that Lady Madelyn had died shortly after sending her letter."

Kent spoke up again. "But we also learned that not all was lost. Her daughter still lives. We heard that she was living on the plains by herself… I knew it upon seeing you. You are the lady Lyndis."

"Why would you think that?" Lyn asked baffled.

"Your resemblance to your departed mother is remarkable."

"Did you know my mother?"

"I must say that I never met her directly, but I saw many portraits of her in Castle Caelin."

"To the rest of my tribe, I was always Lyn. Yet when I was alone with my parents… When it was only the three of us, I was Lyndis. It's so strange. I was alone in this world and now I have a grandfather. Lyndis… I would have never thought I would hear that name again."

Elayna abruptly spoke. "Wait a second. That bandit leader called you Lyndis, how could he possibly have known?" Kent and looked Sain at her, taken aback by what she said.

Sain muttered sullenly. "He must have been a hired by Lord Lundgren."

"Who is he?" Lyn interrupted. "And why would he try to have me killed?"

"He's lord Hausen's younger brother. Everyone thought when lady Madelyn left that she was gone forever. This made him heir to the Marquess' title. It seems like he's trying to make sure things doesn't change." Kent glowered. "Although I thought that he wouldn't go as far as murder."

"Many nobles in Elibe think lowly of the people of Sacae. At least those in Bern do, from what I've heard. I don't think there's a great difference in that regard between nobles of Bern and Lycia." Elayna gave Lyn a smile to show she didn't think the same way.

Kent looked at Elayna. "How would you know that Bernese nobles think such things?"

Elayna answered smoothly. "For one, I was born in Bern. And for another, I may only be a mere commoner, but I know how to listen, Sir Knight."

Lyn was surprised. "That's ri- I'm not interested in inheriting any title."

Sain shrugged. "As unfortunate as it is, your granduncle is not the kind of man to believe that. The attempts on your life are likely going to persist."

"Then what should I do?"

Kent spoke up. "Accompany us to Caelin. Continuing on this way is dangerous."

"I guess I have little choice. Let me talk with Elayna about this."

Lyn took Elayna aside from the two knights. "Elayna… I'm sorry, this changes everything. I know that having you by my side would be great to ease my journey, but… It's going to be dangerous."

"In all honesty, I don't believe it really changes much. Even if I go my own way, there will still be dangers. Besides, no may be a noble now, but we're friends, and together we have a better chance of surmounting whatever obstacles come our way."

"So you'll really come? You're sure?"

"Absolutely, my Peerless Warrior."

"Thank you so much, my Master Tactician," Lyn said with a smile. "I'm glad to have your help and friendship." They then walked back to Kent and Sain, to whom Lyn said, "Very well. I will go with you."


	3. Chapter 2: The Sword and a Strange Foe

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem, Nintendo does, bla la bla la bla etc etc

Author's note: I used "The Fourth Tale" to give me ideas for this story, although barely for this chapter. plus, I changed it up to fix some stuff I wanted, so now it's even more my own.

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Chapter 2: The Sword and a Strange Foe**

The group had been traveling towards the Shrine of the Mani Katti for four days. According to Lyn, they were still a few hours from their destination. Elayna was walking in front of the others, thinking to herself. She heard a horse coming near her and without turning back said, "Yes Sain, what can I do for you?"

Sain brought his horse to a walk beside her. "How did you know it was me?" he asked, his voice reflected the surprise on his face.

"Simple enough, really. Your saddlebags have more stuff in them then Kent's. That makes your mount's steps a little heavier than those of Kent's horse. Like I said before, I know how to listen."

"Ah, your ears are as sharp as they are lovely." Sain remarked, sighing.

Elayna looked at Sain disbelievingly. "Yeah, I'm sure they are. As I was saying, what is it you want Sain? Did you have something to say?"

"Well, I was just gazing at you, when I thought that you might be tired of all that walking. So I was wondering if you would like to ride on my horse."

Elayna spoke in a tone of false regret. "I might have accepted a ride on your steed if were not for its owner." Sain appeared speechless at her response. "Besides, I'm hardly a weak damsel who'll fall over from walking too much. In any case, I'm more used to travelling on foot."

"If such is what you desire, then I will respect your wishes, Lady Tactician." Sain gave her a flourishing bow, as much as was possible from his horse and went off to talk with Kent.

* * *

As they arrived at the Shrine, Elayna noticed a small cluster of houses. Lyn had said there was a small village around the Shrine, because it was so far from Bulgar. Elayna could see that the Shrine appeared to be several centuries old. Parts of the walls were in need of repair and the roof was littered with holes.

"Here it is, the Shrine of the Mani Katti." Lyn said this with a touch of pride in her voice. "The people of Sacae come here to pray for their well-being before embarking on a long journey."

"The teachings of Elimine have the most followers in Elibe. It is nice to see that, here at least, the ancient customs are still observed" commented Kent.

* * *

Meanwhile, a swordsman was barging into the Shrine. "Stay where you are old man and hold your tongue!" He shouted to an old priest.

"Threaten me all you want, I will not hand over the Mani Katti. It is a sacred blade under divine protection. It cannot be removed from its place of rest."

"You're nothing but an idiot, old man. What the point of a sword is you don't use it?"

"Use it? In combat? Sacrilege!"

"Sacrilege? Ha! I am Glass. The gods all fear my name. My swordplay is unmatched. And if I want this sword, then nobody will stop me from taking it. Now, get out of my way!"

Shoving the priest aside, he stepped in front of the altar and grabbed the Mani Katti in its sheath. "This is it! It's even more magnificent than I'd dreamed of! This sword was made for a swordsman of my skill." When he tried to draw it, he found out that the sword wouldn't budge. "What's this? Why can't I draw the sword from its scabbard?"

"The spirits of the sword have judged you. You have been deemed unworthy to keep it. They have rejected you."

"What? Listen you stupid old fool. If you want to stay alive, you'll get the hell out of my sight."

The priest ran into a room at the back of the Shrine, locking it and leaving the enraged swordsman behind. "Curse you, miserable spirits! I don't give a damn about you! I'll rip this Shrine apart piece by piece!"

* * *

Elayna was the first to notice the middle aged woman running towards them. "Excuse me milady." She spoke to Lyn. "Are you headed east? To the Shrine?"

"Yes. As a matter of fact, we are."

"Please, you must help the priest there. I saw a band of ruffians head in there just now. They seemed like they were going to steal the sacred Mani Katti!"

"The Mani Katti? They're going to steal it? I won't allow this to happen."

"You look like an honourable group. Please stop them!"

Elayna spoke to the woman. "Did you happen to see how many of them there are?"

"I saw six of them. I noticed the leader going into the Shrine with two and the rest stayed outside of the entrance."

"Thank you. Now get somewhere safe in case they decide to come around here."

The woman ran into one of the houses and locked herself inside. They advanced towards the entrance, but were confronted by two axe wielders. After a few quick blows, both lay dead on the ground. Elayna then shortly explained her plan to the group. "Since the brush is rather thick in the direction of the entrance, it will make it harder for horses to go through. I'll go ahead with Lyn, since there's only one bandit left outside. Kent, Sain, break down the wall where it's weakest. Lyn and I will distract the bandits inside, so when you get through, it will give you the opportunity to catch them off guard."

"Very well," Kent said, before he and Sain started to work on the wall, leaving Lyn and Elayna to go around the Shrine to the entrance. As they were told, there was only one brigand standing near the entrance.

"You hold his attention while I sneak up behind him," Elayna whispered to her friend. Lyn nodded at this and stepped out from the undergrowth, calling out to the bandit, fully drawing his attention to her. With a leer on his face, the bandit started walking towards Lyn, apparently not thinking her to be much of a threat. As this happened, Elayna crept up behind the bandit, grabbed one of her daggers, and in one swift move, reached out and slit his throat. Leaving his corpse to lie there, the two women went on to the entrance, through which they could see the two axe men and further back, a swordsman using a large chandelier to smash anything within reach.

The bandits took notice of Lyn and Elayna. The swordsman stopped beating the altar and drew a thick broadsword at his side. As they advanced towards the entrance, a part of the wall suddenly broke inwards, with Kent and Sain erupting through, charging the bandits. The leader turned around to face the sudden threat, yet was too slow. Sain stabbed him in the chest with his lance as Kent slashed one of the others in the back with his sword and Lyn dispatched the remaining one.

"Well done Lady Tactician. Things certainly went nicely for us." Kent said in an admiring tone.

"Thank you Kent. And please don't call me that, just my name will do fine."

The old priest, apparently the caretaker of the Shrine, came through the door in the back of the Shrine, mumbling a little when he saw the wall that Kent and Sain had broken down to come in. He regained a content expression upon seeing the Mani Katti before he addressed Lyn. "Ah, your clothing… Are you of the Lorca Tribe?"

"I'm Lyn daughter of the chieftain. Are you all right sir?"

"Thanks to you I am unhurt. You have my heartfelt gratitude."

"And the sword? Is it safe?"

"Yes, I have sealed it safely away. Until the spell is broken, the sword cannot be drawn. Now, as a gesture of my appreciation, you may lay your hands upon the Mani Katti." He grabbed the blade from the altar and passed it to Lyn who held it gently. "Touch the sheath and pray for a safe journey."

"Thank you so much."

Elayna saw the hilt was made of silver, long enough for a two handed grip and had a small ruby inset in the pommel. The scabbard was threaded with gold in forms representing the spirits worshiped by the nomads. As Lyn closed her hands around the sheath and hilt, a dazzling light began to radiate from the sword. The light glowed brightly for a short moment, before diminishing to an aura around the weapon. "Oh my! It's the power of the spirits. Lyn, they look into your soul and are calling out to you."

"What does that mean?"

"You are its rightful owner. You are the one chosen to wield the sacred sword of Sacae."

Lyn's face was a portrait of shock at hearing this. "But… I couldn't… I'm just ordinary."

"It is the sword's wish. If you need more proof, simply draw it from the scabbard." Lyn hesitated, then drew out the sword. "It came out… effortlessly." Lyn said, awed. The blade was made of superb quality steel and the sun shined brightly off the metal. It was slightly curved at the end and seemed perfectly balanced,as if it had been created solely for Lyn.

"I had never hoped that I would ever meet the wielder of the Mani Katti in my life. I am most happy to see your sword reach hands."

"My sword? But how?" Lyn asked, still shocked by this turn of events.

"The time has come for you to go Lyn. You have a great number of challenges ahead of you. Grasp this sword and meet your destiny head-on."

"Yes… Yes sir."

* * *

"So, this is the Mani Katti, a blade equalled by no other," remarked Sain. Lyn and Elayna had joined the two knights, who had taken their horses outside.

"This is just so unreal. The most famous sword in all of Sacae… In my hands."

"It is not so strange. In fact, there are many tales about special blades that call out to their proper owners," explained Kent. "And yet, when I saw you draw that blade… I could feel something extraordinary. That sword was meant for you. It was waiting for you to draw it."

"Stop it! I'm not… I'm nothing special!"

"Think of it this way," Sain barged in. "Some weapons feel more comfortable in your hand, right? Well the Mani Katti is very comfortable in yours. Is this at all easier for you to accept? It appears that neither one of us is able to use it."

"I guess… It does feel right in my hand. It seems reasonable enough. I can live with that. Look at it Elayna. This is my sword, the Mani Katti. I might not have retrieved it without your help."

"Please Lyn, think nothing of it. And I must agree with Kent, that blade was meant for you and you for it."

"Thank you Elayna. I'm glad to have your support. As well as your own Kent, Sain. I guess we should get moving now. We still have a long road ahead of us."

* * *

A long way from the group, a man was delivering a report to Lord Lundgren in Castle Caelin. "What did you say? Madelyn's daughter is still alive?"

"Uhh… Yes, Lord Lundgren. She is travelling with the knights Kent and Sain. Also, there appears to be another girl with her, although we have yet to know her role in things or even who she is. What are your orders my Lord? If we let them be…"

"Pah! Northern Bern is loaded with bandits. She's only a girl. They won't survive the journey here. I'm rather concerned about my older brother. His life must be terminated soon. The poison… There can be no mistakes."

"Yes, m'lord. He suspects nothing and continues to drink it. The marquess' death, caused by an 'unexpected illness', is without doubt close at hand."

"Heh heh heh. Good. Soon… Soon Caelin will be mine!"

* * *

It had been a few days since the events at the Shrine. They were now in the northernmost part of Bern and nothing unusual had happened, yet. Other than themselves, they had seen few people along the road. Most of which were small groups of travelers.

When they set up camp for the night, Elayna volunteered for the first watch, while Kent, Sain and Lyn fell asleep, tired from all the distance they covered. She sat in the top branches of a medium sized tree, scanning their surroundings and keeping her ears alert for any strange noises. As she kept watch, she couldn't help thinking, even though the guild was generally limited to the Bernese capital and a few other places far from the group's location, that there was always the odd chance that someone could have recognized her and let them know. After about an hour, Elayna's eyelids began to feel heavy, so she woke up Kent to relieve her. "You should get some rest Elayna. Tomorrow's journey will likely be tiring and you should be prepared for it."

"Thank you Kent." As she went to her bedroll, she turned again towards the red knight. "Just one thing. Keep a close watch will you? I have a feeling that something is going to happen soon."

"I will. Don't worry yourself about it. Good night to you."

Elayna crawled into her bedroll and shortly after, fell into a light, dreamless sleep.

Elayna woke up, only opening her eyes. It was still quite dark and she judged that it had been three hours at most since she had fallen asleep. She could somehow feel a presence, other than that of her companions. She strained her ears and could just barely make out a faint sound coming closer. Ever so slowly, she positioned herself to be able to quickly jump from her bedroll and slightly turned her head in the direction of the noise. Many other people would not have seen anything, yet Elayna, when she looked hard enough, could make out the figure of someone approaching, though it was obvious that they were fairly gifted at stealth. When the figure got within reach, it drew a dagger from a sheath. Elayna leapt from her bedroll, quickly got behind the individual and put a knife in her hand, which she held to his throat.

Sain, who now had the watch, took notice of the situation. "Elayna? Who is this, what's going on here?" As he said this, Lyn and Kent had woken up and taken notice of Elayna with her dagger against the man's neck, both of them drawing their weapons for good measure.

"This man is an assassin. He just tried to sneak up on us in our sleep and kill us." Sain looked abashed at this. "Don't blame yourself Sain, this man is good. I barely saw him myself."

"Who could have sent him?" asked Lyn.

"Lundgren maybe," suggested Kent.

"Why did you try and kill us?" Sain asked him. The assassin simply kept his mouth closed and stared blankly at Sain. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" As he said this, the man opened his mouth, which revealed that his tongue had been cut out. Sain looked as if he was about to throw up, while Lyn and Kent both had looks of horror on their faces.

"Well, so much for interrogating him," Lyn commented, just before Elayna slit the would be assassin's throat, letting his body fall to the ground.

"Don't give me that look," Elayna said in response to her companions' shocked expressions, a stern look on her face. "He tried to murder us in our sleep, and we don't have the means to keep any prisoners. Besides, it's not like I made him suffer before killing him." Sheathing her dagger, she then kneeled down and began to search through his pockets.

"What are you doing? Have you taken to robbing the dead as well?" Kent asked accusingly.

"There's a chance that he may have clues on him as to who he was working for." As she was searching the corpse, she found a few different coins, as well as two pieces of parchment. One was a letter of no real importance, the other, was a rough drawing of a younger version of Elayna, as well as a young man she knew was her brother. Underneath it were the words: 'Desertion, to be terminated if seen'. Quickly shoving the drawing up her sleeve, she showed the other things she had found. "There's nothing else that points to anyone."

"Too bad," Sain said. They then began to gather more wood to put on the fire. As they laid the body on the small pyre, Elayna discreetly put the drawing in the flames, making sure it burned entirely. After they finished this task, Kent, Sain and Elayna went back to their bedrolls, while Lyn took her turn at watch. As she lay there, slowly falling back to sleep, she couldn't help but wonder if her brother was having the same kind of trouble as her.

* * *

Hope you like it. I won't do anything drastic if you don't review, but it would be greatly appreciated.


	4. Chapter 3: Mercenaries and Nightmares

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem, bla bla bla bla bla, whatever else I should write here.

Author's note: I used "The Fourth Tale" to give me ideas for this story, but if you can find one whole phrase that's the same in both stories and that isn't ripped out of the game, then your really observant, because I haven't. And I've also changed things up a bit to make this chapter more to my liking.

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Chapter 3: Mercenaries and Nightmares**

When the morning came, all four of them moved about quietly. They packed up their bedrolls, threw dirt on the remaining embers of the fire and were off. As they went along, Kent, Sain and Lyn were having a conversation about Caelin and her grandfather, while Elayna was deep in thought.

'How did that man find me? I thought that the guild believed Mark and I were dead. Maybe he was one of the travelers we've past by in the last few days. Maybe the guild master wanted to be sure that we were dead, since they never found our bodies, and sent some of his people after us. I hope that they haven't found Mark. No, they can't have. That man must have been living away from the guild and recognized me from that old drawing.' In the time Elayna was thinking these things, the group was arriving at a village, or rather, what was left of it. She could see rubble from the remains of dozens of houses and other buildings.

"How did this happen?" Sain asked.

Lyn answered, anger creeping into her voice. "The mountains of Bern are home to a gang of cruel, merciless bandits called the Taliver."

"Why doesn't King Desmond do anything to try to stop them?" Kent asked, his face even less emotional than normally.

"That pathetic excuse for a human King Desmond…" Elayna said with contempt, "rules this part of Bern only in name. This area is too poor to be of much interest to him. Once in a while he used to send a few soldiers here to 'take care' of the bandits, but it was really just for show, since they'd just leave and come back each time the troops were gone. Then he stopped pretending to care, and it's gotten progressively worse. The only protection the people get is from mercenaries and armed travelers that go by, and whatever resistance they themselves manage to muster up."

Lyn spoke, her anger increased by hearing Elayna's words. "My village wasn't far from here, just on the other side of the mountains. My people were… The Taliver bandits came at night. It took them only one night. There were less than ten survivors, myself included. They're soulless monsters. As long as I live I will never forgive them. Never." The two knights and Elayna remained respectfully silent at this. "I will not run away. I will be back… when I'm stronger. I will break them beneath me like twigs beneath a stallion's hooves. I will do everything I can to avenge my people.

Sain was the first to break the following silence. "When the time comes, bring me with you."

"Sain"

"Don't forget about me either."

"Kent."

"Losing loved ones to horrid fiends like this is a terrible thing," Elayna said. "Whatever the path you choose to follow, I swear to stand behind you."

"You too Elayna? I… Thank you. All of you."

They continued onwards until they eventually came into the village proper. As this happened, Elayna excused herself, saying she was going to scout around the area, which her companions seemed a little reluctant to accept. "Stealth, knives, and unarmed combat, remember?"

"Very well then, but do be careful," Lyn said.

"Don't worry about me. I'll join up with you shortly," she reassured her, before slipping away as they continued. When Lyn and the two knights rounded by a corner, they saw a small lightly purple haired girl standing between a pegasus and two big thugs, each with an axe hanging on their belt. The girl was apparently trying to keep the two men away from her pegasus, despite the fact that she was obviously frightened by them.

"Florina?" Lyn shouted, her tone surprised. "Is that you?"

The girl looked back and let out a small squeak. "Lyn?"

"It is! What are you doing here?"

Lyn moved closer to towards the girl and her pegasus. Kent and Sain followed her, hands on their weapons as they took notice of the two thugs. The small girl spoke, her voice tainted with fear. "Lyn! Is it really you? I… I…"

"Come now, don't be scared."

"I'm sorry."

"You know each other?" Kent asked as he rode to Lyn's side.

"Yes. This is my friend Florina. She's a pegasus knight in training from Ilia. She's not very comfortable around men. Florina, why are you in a place like this?"

"Well… I um… When I heard that you had left… I decided to follow you. Then I came upon this village… I flew down to see if anyone had heard of you. When I did I hadn't seen these two and… well…"

"You didn't land your pegasus on them did you?" Lyn asked surprised.

"Well, She… I… A little…"

The small pegasus knight let out a frightened squeal as one of the thugs grabbed her by the arm. "Ha! You heard her! She admits to her fault! She's landed her pegasus on my friend and now she's gonna pay for it."

"Did you apologize to them, Florina?"

"Yes. I said that I was sorry many, many times, but they just refused to listen…" Florina said, tears running down her face.

She turned to face the bigger thug, supposedly the one who had been landed on. "Look, she's obviously sorry and you don't appear to be injured or anything. Can't we leave this all behind?" Lyn's tone became serious as her hand hovered above the Mani Katti. "I would rather we didn't have to fight."

"What chance do you think you have against us? We are Ganelon! We never lose!"

"Did you say Ganelon?" Elayna asked in a mocking tone, stepping out from the shadows in a side alley, surprising Kent and Sain with her stealthy appearance. She was holding a dagger in one hand, which she'd obviously just used, given the blood dripping off the blade. "Interestingly enough, didn't the Emerald Eagles once have a little encounter with your gang? And I say 'little', because as I remember, you lot had your hides pounded in no time and flew away faster than a frightened mouse with a cat on its tail."

One of the bandit leaders had an expression on his face that was a mixture rage, with a fair bit of embarrassment. "You dare mock us? You'll pay for that you little bitch!" Elayna merely gave him a cocky smirk, seconds before an arrow sunk into his throat. Having enough sense to take advantage of the opportunity provided, Florina distanced herself from her remaining aggressor, leading her pegasus towards Lyn and the two knights. A young man with brown hair, close to 16 or 17 years of age and carrying a bow and arrows stepped out from behind Elayna, revealing himself as the one to have killed that bandit leader.

"Good shot, Wil," Elayna said, turning her attention towards the remaining bandit. "Now, while I would advise you to surrender and lay down your weapon, I'd be just as happy to see you dead here and now."

"You wish," he shot back, before dashing through the ruins, calling for other bandits to come out to fight, forcing the group to forget about pursuing him for the moment. "Come on out men! Don't put a scratch on the girls, but kill the others." Many bandits then appeared from far in the rubble, armed with either axes or swords.

Lyn put her hand on Florina's shoulder and looked her in the eyes. "You're a pegasus knight aren't you? Then you can fight with us."

"Everyone, this is Wil, he'll be fighting on our side," Elayna spoke up and she and the archer approached the rest of the group. "You, pegasus knight," she addressed Florina. "I'm the tactician here, and I'll be leading the battle, so follow my orders and I'll see to it you stay alive."

"O-okay," Florina stuttered, mounting her steed and holding her lance tightly as the rest of the group prepared themselves for the fight to come.

"Welcome aboard Wil," Lyn said as she drew the Mani Katti. "Now let's take care of these bandits and clear them out."

* * *

After a short, but somewhat challenging struggle, almost all of the bandits had all been slain, except for the one they'd first encountered. He stood in an open space that looked like it might have previously been the town square, with a bare handful of other bandits in a circle around him. Elayna whispered a few words at Lyn as she approached him, with Kent, Sain and Wil behind her. The Sacaean swordswoman nodded in response, then spoke up to the remaining bandit leader, keeping her guard up. "Now, my friends and I have killed everyone in your gang here except for you. But, before we do anything deadly, there's one thing I wanted to ask."

"Are you going to beg for your life, wench?" the leader asked,

"Are you Taliver bandits?"

"Taliver? Those vicious monsters? We're nothing like them! Those brutes will kill anyone, even women children! We are the Ganelon and we know a little something about the meaning of honor. For one thing, we don't harm women." His gave a sinister laugh. "Heh, heh, heh. After all, why would we kill something that we can sell?"

"If you aren't Taliver, then there's no reason that you have to die here today. If you want to tuck your tail between your legs and flee, you're welcome to do so now."

"You… you… That's it! No more being nice! I'll teach you to watch your tongue!" At this he raised his axe and charged with his remaining men.

Fortunately, Lyn and her friends were ready, and the bandits' numbers were quite close to their own, giving them a better chance than they might have had otherwise. After a relatively short moment, the skirmish had dwindled down to Lyn against the bandit leader one on one. Wil had an arrow set to his bow as he watched the fight, but not drawn, given that he could ill afford to take a shot since he risked hitting Lyn.

The two fought for some time, the Sacaean adopting a more defensive strategy, dodging most of her opponent's blows, and blocking a few that came close. On the other hand, the bandit leader used a more aggressive style, yet seemed to have enough a fair bit of strength and stamina. However, the entire thing soon came to a close when Elayna, who was watching the fight quite intently, judging its flow, placed two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly, then raised her right hand in the air and made a fist. At this, Lyn sprang out in a quick flurry of strikes, putting the leader on the defensive for a few seconds, only to unexpectedly disengage and jump back.

Before the bandit leader could do anything, he suddenly went stiff and his axe clattered to the ground. "Uh… You'll live… to regret this," he spoke, blood dripping from his mouth. "My brothers… The Ganelon bandits… they will… avenge me," and then he fell face down before the group, a lance stuck into his back. Florina, who had dived down at Elayna's signal, dismounted her pegasus, shaking a little at what she had done. Lyn stepped over the corpse to comfort her friend.

"Come Florina, there's no reason to be afraid," she reassured her. "It may have been tough for you, but it's all over now."

"Thank you Lyn."

"Killing isn't always easy, and for some, killing from behind is harder," Elayna spoke up. "But if you're still unnerved by it, you can take comfort in the fact that you've helped protect these villagers and anyone else this man could have harmed."

"Um, Lyn… Who is this?"

"I'm sorry. I guess we haven't been properly introduced. My name is Elayna. I'm a tactician travelling with Lyn and helping out as best I can. She's told me about you."

"Oh, I see… Well, Elayna… It's nice to meet you."

Lyn spoke to her friend again, her tone concerned. "Florina… Why did you follow me? You know it's pretty dangerous."

"Do you remember how the knighting ceremony of the Pegasus Knights of Ilia takes place?"

"Yes, you join a band of freelance soldiers to extend your training. Is that the reason that brought you out here?"

"Uh-huh. I planned on talking to you before I set out. But when I got to Sacae, I heard that you had left with a group of strangers and…"

"Were you worried about me? Thanks, but I'm more concerned for you."

"Really?"

"It's because most bands of mercenaries are men right?" Elayna asked Lyn. She turned back to Florina. "So from what Lyn told me, it's not likely you would be too comfortable around them."

"I know, I know. But it's just, since I was young I've always dreamed of being a pegasus knight. I guessed that I would find some way to work it out. After today though, I'm not sure I can. Maybe  
I should just… forget about it and give up." A small tear fell down her face.

"Florina… please don't cry…"

"Yes! There's no reason to abandon your dream!" Sain interrupted, a big smile on his face as he approached them. "Lovely Florina! I just have the most brilliant idea! You should come along with us. With the addition of Wil into our ranks, we're a fine group of soldiers and freelance to boot."

"Wait, did you include me?" Wil said, surprised.

"Of course! We we're destined to meet here! It must be fate. Come now, Lyndis' band of mercenaries is as good a group as you'll find anywhere!"

"Sain! This is no time for joking!" Kent reprimanded the green knight.

"Lyndis? Mercenaries? Um, Lyn?"

"I'll explain this all later. This is a bit hasty. However, Sain's right. Would you come with us, Florina?"

"Travel with you, Lyn? Truly?" She looked as if she was going to cry, but this time for joy. "That would be great. I would be so... so happy!"

"Wonderful! Beauteous Florina! I am a knight of Caelin. My name is Sain…"

Florina let out a small eek and hid behind Lyn. "Stay away from me! Don't get so close."

Sain sighed. "Ah… Beautiful and yet so modest!"

Kent spoke to Lyn, his face making it obvious what he thought about his companion's behavior.

"I'm sorry my lady, but calling us mercenaries?"

"No, I approve of the idea. However, we can't leave Florina alone, she'll need special attention. Can I count on you?"

"Of course, you only need to ask."

"Thank you Kent."

"So Lyn… Is it really alright if I travel with you?" Wil piped up.

"Of course, if you want to we're fine with that, right Elayna?"

"Hey, I'm the one who picked him up and we all saw his skill with the bow first hand," the young tactician answered. "Besides, it would be good to have an archer with us."

"Thank you, I'm very grateful. Actually, all of my money was stolen and I'm… in a bit of a tight spot. I would be count it an honor to be a part of Lyndis' Legion!"

"Lyndis' Legion?" Lyn said, her tone slightly annoyed and puzzled.

"Come on Lyn, we're mercenaries now," Elayna said in a relaxed tone. "We need a name, and Lyndis' Legion is a good as any. Not to mention it has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"I guess you're right Elayna. Still, I must say this is getting stranger almost every day."

One of the villagers, a man in his mid-forties, stepped up in front of Lyn. "Are you the group that drove the bandits out of our village?"

"Yes. That would be us."

The man practically fell to his knees thanking Lyn. "Thank you milady. Thank you so much."

"Please, we only did what we thought was right." Lyn said, her posture showing how awkward she thought this was.

"Regardless, we must give you all a proper thank you for what you did. Please accept our hospitality at least for a night, if nothing more."

"Why not Lyn? It would do us all good to rest for the night." Elayna lowered her voice to a whisper. "And besides, it would be impolite to refuse their request."

"Alright then, we will stay here until tomorrow morning."

* * *

All the members of the group were in the tavern portion of the village's only inn. The villagers had taken out food and drink that they had gotten in the habit of hiding when the Ganelon raided their houses. Elayna saw Lyn and Florina in a corner having a conversation. Wil was in another having a drink with one of the villagers that he apparently knew well. Sain, she noticed, was in the center of the tavern and he had obviously had a few drinks himself. He was flirting with a group of young girls who were swooning over their 'brave knight'. Elayna shook her head in amusement at this. She herself was sitting alone when she saw Kent approach her. Unlike Sain, he had been drinking only water instead of alcohol. "Hey Kent. Why don't you sit down here?"

"Thank you Lady Tactician."

"Please call me by my name if you don't mind. I'm not overly fond of titles."

"As you wish… Elayna."

"So is there anything in particular you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes, actually there is. I'd been meaning to ask you this for a bit. I was just wondering, you said that the Ganelon had an encounter with the 'Emerald Eagles', and implied that you'd been associated with this group. Who were they?"

"They were a fairly well known band of mercenaries in Bern. I travelled with them for about four years before I met up with Lyn. We made our way around a fair bit and had our share of battles, one of which was against the Ganelon bandits."

"And interesting tale, I'll say. Well I guess it would be best try to go get some sleep soon."

"Good idea. The villagers said they could only get us two rooms, although they're big enough for three people each." She gave a little laugh. "You and Wil might have to pry Sain away from his admirers and before you drag him upstairs." Elayna had to refrain herself from bursting out with laughter at seeing Kent's face. She then got up and walked towards Lyn and Florina. "Well, you two, how about going to sleep soon?"

"Sounds reasonable." Lyn said. "Come on Florina, let's go upstairs now."

They got to their room which did turn out to have just enough space for them to all lie down quite comfortably. Elayna laid out her bedroll and fell asleep shortly after.

* * *

Sometime after she fell asleep, Elayna had a dream of the moment in her life when she had lost almost all she knew. The dream began happily enough though. There were four people inside the room of a comfortably sized house. The first was a man in his thirties . He was tall, quite well built, had short brown hair, bright blue eyes and a scar that ran across his left cheek, along with a few others than made him look tough. Next to him was a woman who seemed to be about the same age. She was shorter, slim, had blonde hair running down her back, brown eyes and might have been thought a noble if not for her commoner's clothes. Nearby were two children, a girl no older than five, and a boy about two years older. The boy took after his father, while the girl looked very much like her mother, safe that her hair was brown.

At the moment, the boy was chasing the girl around the room, pretending to be a 'vicious dragon' about to eat her. She hid behind the man who smiled in amusement at their game. "Daddy, please protect me from the mean dragon."

"Do not worry Elayna, I shall defend you from this creature." He then grabbed the boy by the waist and turned him upside down. "This lady is under my protection, you vicious dragon. I will not let you harm her."

The boy then proceeded to protest against his treatment. "It's not fair. Why does dad have to side with you all the time? He's so strong a dragon would probably break its teeth on his hide."

The girl stuck out her tongue at him. "That's what happens to dragons when they try to eat innocent, defenseless ladies."

"Innocent?" her brother scoffed at the idea. "You're nothing more than a ball of evil and bad stuff rolled together."

"You're just jealous because I'm cuter, and you look like a smelly ogre."

"Elayna, stop tormenting your brother or I'll let the dragon chase you all over again," their father spoke up in an amused tone.

"Okay then."

"Now, Mark, surrender and I won't have to punish you for being a vicious, flesh eating dragon."

"Fine, I surrender, and I promise not to eat Elayna. She'd probably taste horrible anyway."

Smiling in amusement at his children's antics, the man set his son down on his feet. "Instead of having them act out the scouring, why don't you tell them one of your stories dear?" the woman told her husband.

He then put down his son. "Good idea. Come on you two." He then sat on a chair and his children jumped on his knees. "How about the story of when the Eight Heroes defeated the dark dragon?"

They both nodded eagerly. "Well, sometime during in the scouring, the dragons were starting to beat back the armies of humanity, despite their overwhelming numbers. According to legend, they had a special dragon that was able to create many new dragons of war. They called it, the Dark Dragon. But with the creation of the Divine Weapons, the Eight Heroes turned the tides on their enemies. Then the heroes, led by Bern's founder Harmut, lead an attack into the heart of the dragons' forces. Deep into the dragon temple they went, and defeated the Dark Dragon, bringing peace to Elibe once more."

"What happened to the Dark Dragon?" Mark asked curiously.

"Well, no one really knows for sure, but they say that instead of killing it, Harmut spared the Dark Dragon's life and only sealed it away."

"Can you please tell us another story daddy?" Elayna said pleadingly.

"Dear, come to the window a moment will you?" the woman spoke up, her voice tinged with worry.

The man then set his children down and walked to the window his wife was looking out of. Looking outside, he saw close to a score of men approaching the house. A more intent examination revealed to him that they were all armed, and had a tattoo on their right shoulder of a circle with a six pointed star. "It's the Thai," he said in an urgent voice as he grabbed a sword and an axe from beside the fireplace. "Get the children out and take them to the nearest town or village. I'll hold them off long enough for you to get away."

Giving his wife a quick kiss goodbye, he ran out the door, and with a war cry to defy the heavens, charged at the mass of armed men to buy his family the time they needed to escape. At the same time, the woman grabbed her children and ran outside through a back door. "Mommy, what's daddy doing?" Elayna asked as they ran away from their house as fast as possible.

"Bad men have come for us, and your father's gone to keep them busy."

As they continued running, Elayna's mother cried out in pain and almost fell, but through sheer determination, she managed to keep running until they were safely in the cover of the nearby forest. Finally, they arrived at the edge of a large city, where Elayna's mother collapsed, falling to her knees. "Elayna, Mark," she said with a weak voice, "look out for each other," and then she fell to the ground, a small green scratch drawn across her arm.

"Mommy?" Elayna and said tentatively. "Mommy, please get up."

"She's… she's gone, little sister," Mark said, a sad look on his face.

Elayna gasped in fright as she suddenly woke up in the room she was sharing with Lyn and Florina, face drenched in sweat due to her nightmare. "What is it Elayna?" Lyn asked, a look of worry on her face. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," she said, breathing in deeply and calming down. "It's nothing but a nightmare."

* * *

So, hope you liked it. Please review, it's greatly appreciated.


	5. Chapter 4: The Fortress and Memories

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Chapter 4: The Fortress and Memories**

It had been a few days since Lyndis' Legion had defeated the brigands in the small village where they met and recruited Wil and Florina. They continued westward toward Lycia and Caelin, yet the Ganelon bandits had been following them nearly the whole way. They were enraged by the defeat their brethren had suffered at the hands of Lyn and her companions. A couple of their scouts had come close to them two days ago and had all been killed, except for one that had managed to run away. After traveling hard they had finally reached an old ruined fortress, and although it lacked a roof, its walls and fortifications still looked quite sturdy.

"Ah, this should do well enough, tonight's bed!" Wil said, as they approached the entrance.

"This mildewy old fortress? Can't we do any better than this? Come Wil, surely you must jest!" Sain spoke up.

"The bandits keep everything in disorder around here," Elayna told the green knight. "If we stay in one of the towns or villages, we risk bringing the Ganelon down on their heads. I'd rather we didn't do such a thing. Besides, this place offers us a reasonable defense and with our numbers, if we position ourselves the right way, we could hold off a large number of enemies. Also, I happen to know this 'mildewy old fortress' as well as the back of my hand. So, from a tactical point of view, we could hardly ask for better."

"How do you to know this place so well?" Lyn asked, her expression curious.

"Well… there was this one time when Mark and I were wandering around Bern with the Emerald Eagles. As it happens…" Elayna suddenly had a flashback as she was telling her story to Lyn.

* * *

"So Mark, how's your training coming along?" Elayna asked her brother. The two of them, along with the rest of their mercenary friends known as 'The Emerald Eagles' had stopped in run-down fortress the previous night and were currently resting. "You practically spend the whole of your days sparing against Erik, Raven or Owen. That is, when we aren't fighting bandits, or anyone else."

"Erik says I've improved a great deal since he first took me under his wing. I even managed to win two out of five rounds against him last time we clashed."

"Really? Then you have indeed improved. I remember the first time you sparred against him. It was only a month after he took us in. He kicked your butt so badly, that I had a hard time keeping my sides from splitting, because I was laughing so hard." Elayna chuckled at this.

"Yes… He did." Mark said, embarrassed. "Yet, as Erik told me, I've improved a lot since then. Recently, apart from him, I haven't lost once. I don't suppose you'd do any better?"

"There is a possibility that I would not. But as I'm sure you know, I've spent most of my time perfecting my other skills with him, mostly those involving tactics, dear brother."

"Does that include the skills you've used for playing jokes on me?"

"What jokes are you possibly referring to?" Elayna asked, feigning innocence.

"Oh… How about that time you poured a bucket of cold water on me when I was sparing with Erik? I recall that it didn't help me win."

"Come now, it was to cool you down. You were becoming too hot headed for your own good."

"You know, that actually reminds me that later, you had 'accidently' fallen into a pond and came out every inch of you soaked. No one could stop laughing when you started doing that strange dance to get the live fish out of your robes."

Elayna could hardly have been any more embarrassed then she was now. She would have sworn her face was so red, that it stood out like a bonfire. "You… You… I still think that was uncalled for." She mumbled random words to herself, discontent that he had brought up the 'incident'.

A knight with a most impressive physique chuckled in amusement as he listened to the siblings bicker. The man's graying hair suggested an advanced age, yet the full set of heavy armor he was wearing hardly seemed to be an impediment. "Sometimes I wonder if you two really are Alexander's children."

"What's that supposed to mean, Erik?" Mark shot back.

His reply was cut short when a young, red haired mercenary came running towards them. "What is it, Raven?" Elayna asked, losing her amused expression upon seeing the serious look on his face.

"Bandits approaching."

"What kind, how many and how close?"

"Owen reported a score and a half. They're no further than ten minutes east of here and heading straight for this place. As to what kind, they've got to be Thai bandits, no doubt about it."

Upon hearing this, Elayna and Marks both had deadly serious expressions, with a hint of controlled rage. "They must be expecting weary travelers, or merchants and a few guards," Mark noted as he grabbed a nearby sword and attached it to his belt, then put a shield on his left arm. "Looks like they've taken the bait. What're your orders, sis?"

"Mark, Raven, take Fae with you and block the eastern entrance," Elayna said sharply. "Erik, you and Owen take the main entrance. Use Rena, Phillip and Kenshin for cover. Seraph…" she directed towards a pegasus knight standing at the ready next to her mount. "Fly south and go warn the others to get ready. Follow these instructions to the letter."

"I'm on it," the tall, sturdy dark haired woman said as she grabbed the offered parchment, before mounting her pegasus and flying off.

"Then I see something like this happen, and I lose all doubt," Erik said, donning his war helm, then grabbing his lance and shield, giving the siblings a nod before he marched towards the front entrance.

* * *

The flashback faded away as Elayna finished telling her story to Lyn. However, not feeling quite ready to reveal her entire past to Lyn, she hadn't told her everything about the story that her memories contained. Stepping through what used to be the gates, rotten away long ago, then an archway, they came into the fort's outer courtyard. "Excuse me?" a soft voice spoke up, coming from within the inner courtyard.

Lyn looked around to see who had spoken. "Who's there?" Lyn asked. Elayna, for her part, could see someone standing in the shadows, using the wall to stay upright. The one in question turned out to be a small brown haired woman, in her mid to late 20's, as revealed when she stepped tentatively out of the dark. She also had her hair in a braid over her shoulder and wore blue villagers' clothes.

"I… please forgive my intrusion… My name is Natalie. I come from a village close by…" As she took a step forward, her left leg gave way and she fell to the ground. Lyn and Elayna immediately rushed over and bent down to help her stand up.

"Are you alright?" Elayna asked. "Hmm? Your leg…" she noted, seeing that her ankle appeared to be injured.

"It's fine, don't worry. It's an illness I've had since childhood. I can't travel too far on it, but it doesn't bother me much."

"If it bothers you, then what are you doing out here all by yourself?" Lyn asked, concerned.

"I'm searching for my husband. He told me he was going to raise money to have my leg mended. He left the village and hasn't returned. He's a kind hearted man, but I'm afraid he might be involved in something dangerous. I got so worried… Here's what he looks like." She took out a piece of parchment with a picture on it and handed it to Lyn. "It's a rough sketch at best… His name is Dorcas. Have you perhaps seen him?"

Lyn looked at the drawing and passed it to Elayna. The rest of the group examined it in turn, none of them seeming to recognize him. After they had all looked, Lyn handed it back to Natalie.

"I'm sorry, but none of us have seen or heard of him."

"I see… If you do meet him, please give him a message. Tell him that Natalie is looking for him."

"I will tell him that if I see him. You wouldn't be uncomfortable if we all stayed here?"

"No, not at all. I'd be glad to have the company."

"What about you Florina? Will you be alright if we spend the night here?"

"As long as I'm at your side, I'll be fine."

Sain stepped forward, addressing the group's three women. "And for your protection, your man at arms Sain will be right here by your side, ladies."

Kent walked behind Sain and smacked him on the head with his gauntlet. "Will you ever learn manners Sain? You and I are to stay awake. We will both take the first watch."

Sain sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, but alas…" Taking a moment to talk with the two knights, Elayna then followed the others into the inner courtyard.

"I'm going to sleep for a while," Elayna said as her friends were putting together a pile of wood for a small fire. "Wake me up if anything happens, Sain's antics notwithstanding." She then sat with her back against the wall and soon drifted off into a light, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Sometime later, at a distance away from Lyn and her friends, a large gruff bandit was receiving a report from one of his grunts sent to scout ahead. "Looks like we've finally found the band that killed Migal and his men," the bandit leader said, turning around to look over the men at his disposal. "Alright, you rogues," he addressed the rest of the gang. "There's only a few of them in the band we're going after. Kill the men, but don't harm the women. They should fetch a good price on the market, so I want them taken alive. Understood?"

"Yes, boss Carjiga," the grunts answered collectively.

"Good. You there…" the leader pointed to a tall, broad man with red hair. "Dorcas, is it?"

"…" The man named stepped forward silently, a blank look on his face.

"You haven't done a lot since you've joined us. Well, today's the day you're going to show us what you can do, if those weapons of yours aren't just for show."

"…"

"You're going to attack the side entrance on the eastern wall. Get through there, get inside, grab any of the women you can find and bring them back here. If you manage to pull that off, I'll increase your share of the spoils. Now get moving."

Dorcas nodded silently, and started moving towards the fortress as the bandit leader ordered his men to prepare to charge the main entrance _en masse_. "A bunch of women, huh?" Dorcas muttered to himself. "It would break Natalie's heart to see me sink so low."

* * *

Elayna woke up after a couple hours of sleep, and decided to go over to the eastern entrance, where Lyn was standing on watch. But before she moved to do so, Kent barged into the courtyard, shouting. "Bandits! Outside the fortress! They've surrounded us!"

"Persistent bunch, aren't they," Sain said. "What should we do Elayna? Shall we go out and face them?"

"That's just about the worst idea possible, idiot. Natalie can't move well. If we do that, we risk putting her in danger. Sain, go with Kent to the main entrance. If you put your horses side by side, it won't give room for the bandits to get past. Wil, go with them to provide cover." The three of them left to go to their stations as the tactician turned her attention to Florina. "I'll go with Lyn and cover the east entrance. Florina, fly up and see how many we're up against, then come back down and give me as good a count as you can get. Natalie, stay back. We won't let anyone harm you." Elayna then ran off towards the east entrance, where she found her Sacaean friend on guard and quickly relayed everything to her.

"Why are they attacking now?" Lyn wondered. "They'd have a better chance if they waited until night."

"Most likely they want to capture me, you and Florina alive, to sell, or for their own… fun. If they came at night, they'd risk causing harm to us." Lyn's face was a picture of utter disgust as she heard this. The two young women stood still in their position, eyes sharp for any approaching enemies. While they were waiting, they noticed a large axe man approaching them, with another two smaller ones following behind.

"That man in front, doesn't he look like that drawing of Natalie's husband," Lyn said quickly, keeping her guard up.

"You there!" Elayna called out to the lead bandit. "Are you Dorcas?"

"… How do you know my name?" he asked, stopping in his tracks, battle axe held high in one hand, a look of confusion on his face.

"Natalie told us about you. She said you were trying to find a way to make money. Would you go so far as to harm those people who're risking themselves to protect your wife?"

"What? Natalie's here?"

"Natalie's hiding inside this very fortress which we are defending. And if you want to ensure her safety more than you want to earn a little gold fast…"

"… You're right." Dorcas then suddenly spun around and with a single blow of his axe, beheaded one of the bandits standing behind him. And before the other one had time to react, he continued his swing and plunged his axe deep into his chest. "Sorry, but I'm with them now. And I'll allow no harm to come to my wife."

Elayna whistled at the display of strength and power, impressed by Dorcas' skills. Florina landed behind the two women as Dorcas was pulling his axe from the second bandit's chest. Taking a second to reassure her that the Bernese axeman was an ally, Elayna then had the pegasus knight give her report. "Can you confirm what Florina said about this leader, Carjiga?" Elayna asked Dorcas.

"Yes, that is his manner. He'll send the bulk of his men against the main entrance, and keep a scant guard around himself, one or two at the most."

"Good, good. Florina, stay here and keep an eye out in case any more bandits try to sneak through this entrance. Dorcas, I need you to be a villain again for a short time."

* * *

"Come on, you filthy rogues!" Carjiga shouted at his men attacking the front entrance. "Kill those damned knights, there're only two of them. And where the hell is Dorcas? He should have gotten inside already." A mass of corpses lying in front of the fortress attested to Kent and Sain's skill and determination. And despite the bandits' superior numbers, the two knights were still holding back their attackers. Wil, who was up in an old guard tower, firing down at the bandits, took notice of Carjiga and his little guard. Fitting another arrow, he took aim and let loose, killing one of the two grunts standing next to him. "Get that bastard with the bow, skin him alive!" Carjiga shouted in anger, backing further away to be out of range, less Wil succeed in shooting him. The bandit leader turned his attention away from the fighting when he saw Dorcas coming towards him. "Ha, so you actually managed to catch a couple of the women," Carjiga noted upon seeing Elayna and Lyn, hands behind their backs, being pushed forward by Dorcas.

"… Yes," Dorcas replied, nodding a little.

"Maybe you are worth something after all. Looks like a good catch. They should fetch a pretty penny."

Lyn raised her head and spat at the bandit leader. "Miserable, honourless scumbag!" she said with a defiant glare. "You're no better than those wretched Taliver savages!"

"I'll teach you some respect, you filthy Sacaean whore!" he shot back, him and his crony approaching the two women. Unfortunately for him, while the two women had the appearance of unarmed prisoners, the truth was that they were simply hiding their weapons behind their backs. Like a pair of lioness pouncing on their prey, Elayna lunged at the bandit underling, burying a dagger up to the hilt in his heart, while Lyn cut Carjiga's jugular in one swift move.

"Now that that's done, shall we...?" Elayna asked, motioning towards the fortress' main entrance. "I believe it's high time we sent these bandits running."

"Of course, let's go," Lyn said.

* * *

Concentrated on pushing back Kent and Sain, the bandit horde was quite unprepared when Lyn and Dorcas attacked them from the rear. With their leader no longer there to push them forward, and under assault from two sides, the bandit ranks collapsed in disarray. The survivors fled for their lives from the defenders' iron will, Lyndis' Legion content to let them run away.

Having soundly defeated the bandits, Dorcas, Kent and Sain gathered the bodies in a pile, on which they built up a pyre. As they watched it burn, the two knights whispered a short prayer.

"May Elimine watch over you," Elayna added as they finished.

"I didn't know you followed the way of Elimine," Kent remarked in surprise.

"I'm far from her most devoted follower. I pray every now and then, but just enough to barely consider myself one of her people. Besides, I curse in her name often enough," Elayna added in an off handed manner.

As they walked back inside, Elayna approached Dorcas who was helping Natalie walk. "Thank you for protecting my wife Elayna," he said in a very sincere manner. "I am in your debt.''

"Don't worry," she reassured him. "We couldn't have left her to the mercy of those bandits. But now that I'm thinking about it, if you need money, why don't you come with us? We could use your help and you would be repaid for it.''

Dorcas and Natalie talked to each other briefly before answering. "We accept your kind offer, Lady Elayna."

"Please don't call me that," Elayna protested. "I'm not a noble, only the daughter of a merchant and a mercenary, and I have no love of titles. Now, if you will, we should advise Lyn of your choice."

The three of them then joined up with Lyn in the inner courtyard. "Are you alright?" she spoke to Natalie and Dorcas.

"Yes. Thank you for your concern. If you wouldn't mind, our village isn't far from here. I'll bring Natalie home and be back in the morning."

"Can't we just say farewell today?"

"I've spoken with Elayna, she's invited me to join your group."

"Are you sure? We're going to Lycia. We have the Ganelon bandits on our tail and a succession crisis ahead of us."

"I need to earn money somehow. You helped my wife and I would like to fight with you to repay you for your kindness."

"We both agreed to this. Please watch over him."

"Alright then. I accept."

As they walked away to their village, Lyn turned towards Kent and Sain. "Can you keep watch next?"

"Of course. You can rest easily. Sain and I will take turns."

"Are you sure? Sain!"

The green knight's attention focused on Lyn. "Ye-Yes! Certainly."

Lyn's tone was serious as she spoke. "Just so you know, if bandits manage to sneak up on you, they will not hesitate to cut you down. Understood?"

"Am I not a knight after all? There's no need to worry like that. Right Kent?"

"We'll take care of anything suspicious. Please be assured. Come on Sain."

"Well, good night Elayna. See you in the morning."

"Same to you Lyn."

* * *

That night, Elayna had another dream about her past, one where she was close to eight years old. In the dream, she and her brother were snooping around in a city market place crowded with people. Both of them were unkempt, dressed in tattered clothes and looked like any other young beggars. "I still don't like this," Mark complained. "What if we get caught?"

"Don't worry yourself brother. We haven't been caught since we started doing this. Besides, even if the people at the orphanage feed us, I'm still hungry and so are you."

"You're right," Mark said with a sigh.

"Just remember to move quickly and grab just what we need, because I doubt I'll be able to distract this one for too long."

Elayna walked to the front of a stand where a baker was selling tasty looking bread, while Mark snuck around the back. "Excuse me sir?" she said to the man in a bit of a whimpering.

"Wada you want?"

"Please sir I'm hungry. Could you spare a piece of bread?"

"Yeah sure, if you've got the money to pay for it."

"But I don't have any money. Please sir, couldn't you be kind enough to spare even a little piece for a hungry little girl," she begged, adding a few tears for extra measure.

"Get this through your head, girl," the man said, leaning forward with a mean frown on his face. "You want food here? Then you have to pay. No money, no bread. Now get out of here, or I'll have you flogged, you stupid brat."

Continuing her act for a brief moment longer, Elayna managed to hold the baker's attention long enough to allow Mark managed to grab two loaves of bread and hide them under his shirt. When she saw that he'd succeeded, she finally turned around and made her way to a remote alley, where Mark soon joined her. "Well that was pretty easy," Mark said as he passed her one of the loaves.

"I told you it wouldn't be too hard. Here's to our survival."

* * *

So here's the modified version of this chapter, I hope you liked it, and please review, I'll accept whatever comments you have to offer, just be nice.


	6. Chapter 5: Clerics and Mages

Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I didn't own Fire Emblem. It still hasn't changed.

Changed up this chapter a little, and added a slightly vicious edge to the battle.

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Chapter 5: Clerics and Mages**

About mid-day in the following morning after Lyndis' Legion and the Ganelon bandits' latest encounter, Lyn and her group had almost arrived at the Bern/Lycia border. Elayna felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. 'At least this far away from the guild, the only trouble we should get is from Lundgren,' Elayna thought to herself as she remembered the strange assassin. 'The head of the howlers always was ambitious, even before Mark and I deserted, although he'd never be able to extend his reach out of Bern, let alone up to the borders. I wonder where in Lycia Mark might be. I hope I get to see him sometime.'

Elayna wasn't the only one who was enlightened at the idea of leaving Bern behind. "Finally! We've almost reached Lycia," Kent exclaimed. "We're probably no more than a couple of hours away."

"Once we're in Lycia, we'll be safe from bandits right?" Lyn asked.

"We should," Elayna said. "As persistent as they are, the Ganelon won't follow us across the border."

"And as far as I know, most bandits in Lycia will probably stay away from a group like ours," Wil added.

"That's great," Sain spoke with enthusiasm. "I know of an inn not far from the crossing. Their food is supposed to be as good as that of castle Caelin. And the mistress running it is said to be a beauty. Ah yes… food and love. No better way to restore a man's soul. Wouldn't you say Kent?"

The red knight shook his head in disbelief. "If you keep acting like this, then we'd be better off camping outside. We're not here for sightseeing."

"Come on Kent!" Sain protested. "Lighten up a little."

"It's alright Kent. The inn will be fine."

"As you wish milady."

As they walked forward, Florina, who had flown up ahead on her pegasus in order to scan their surroundings, landed just a little in front of the group. "Did you see anything?" Elayna asked.

"Nothing much so far," the small violet haired pegasus knight answered. "I only saw two people wandering around in the woods up ahead, a man and woman, I think. They didn't appear to be bandits, and they looked like they might have been lost."

"Should we go and help them?" Lyn asked.

"I suppose there's no great harm in that," Elayna said. She then rummaged around in her bag for a moment and pulled out a whistle which she gave to Florina, with instructions to take to the air again and blow it if she happened to see any enemies. "Lyn, you and I are going to meet these two wanderers, and with a bit of luck, maybe they'll agree to join us. Everyone else, stop at the edge of the forest and stay sharp until we get back."

The two women then split off from the bulk of the group and walked into the woods, once Florina had given them the general direction to follow. As they were making their way through the thicker parts of the forest, they could hear two sets of voices up ahead, one male and one female, who were engaged in a rather animated argument. "Oooh… we're lost. This makes me so mad!" the female voice said.

"You _told_ me you were certain that this was the right path!" the man shot back, apparently annoyed.

"What's your point, Erk? What're you trying to say?"

"I sweat, you are NOT the woman I agreed to escort."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I was told someone was needed to escort a frail Lycian priestess to Ostia."

"Yes, and I am that priestess," the woman replied as if it should have been quite obvious.

Frail? You? Serra, you have no need whatsoever for any escort to protect you. Even the most hardened criminal would flee in sheer terror after only five minutes in your company." At this point, Lyn and Elayna had already gotten to a clearing where they found the mismatched pair. The one named Serra turned out to be a young girl with pink hair in pig-tails and wearing immaculate white robes indicating that she was an Elimine Cleric. Her companion was a young man with dark purple hair, whose robes, along with the designs on his cloak and the tome he was carrying, suggested he was a mage.

"Somehow, I'm starting to think it wouldn't even take five minutes," Elayna muttered to Lyn, the two of them standing back as they watched the spectacle unfold.

"Look," Erk spoke up again, neither him nor Serra taking notice of the two women nearby, despite the fact that they weren't going through great lengths to remain hidden. "I'll gladly return your money. Now, will you please release me from your service and continue on to Ostia alone?"

"NO!" Serra shouted loudly, causing Elayna, Erk and Lyn to flinch a little. "You're MY escort Erk! MINE! You're so clean and tidy. A noblewoman like myself can't be seen without a proper escort. Your personality's nothing special, but at least you're not bad to look at."

"I believe that's my line," Erk said flatly. "And do I really have to take you all the way to Ostia? I can only hope my nerves can endure the journey."

"Ah hem!" Both Erk and Serra turned around in a sudden at the sound of Elayna clearing her throat, seeing her and Lyn standing there. "Apologies for the interruption, but we couldn't help but overhear that the two of you are on your way to Ostia."

"Yes, and what of it?" Erk inquired.

"Well, as it happens, we're on our way to Caelin with some friends of ours and-" Elayna suddenly interrupted herself as a trio of bandits, a bowman and two axe users, was coming towards them.

"Hey, it's that Sacaean bitch and one of her friends," one of the bandits cried out.

"%*%^$#^*!" Elayna cursed profusely, shocking Serra with her choice of words.

"Hey, you two in league with that she-devil?" the bow wielding bandit asked.

"Hm? What?" Serra wondered.

"Bah, doesn't matter, we'll take care of you anyways."

"Eeeeeek! Eeeeeeek! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!" Serra shouted, her voice very loud, and very sharp. "Erk! Help me! Kill it!"

Erk quickly chanted a series of soft words, his tome glowing red for a split second, before he stretched out his right hand and flicked a small, contained fireball at the bandit with the bow, striking him full force in the face. However, before dying, the bandit in question released his arrow, hitting the young mage in the shoulder. At the same time, Lyn and Elayna were each faced with one of the remaining bandits, the Sacaean swordswoman killing her opponent quickly. For her part, Elayna danced around the other for a few seconds, until Lyn was free to cut him down.

"Sorry for all this, but it looks like we'll all be in a fight soon, since I doubt they came alone," Lyn said to Erk and Serra. "We could use your strength."

"Great idea! I'm Serra and my escort is Erk. We'd be glad to help."

"Good, now can you heal your friend?" Elayna asked.

"Of course, I shall demonstrate all of-"

"Bite down on my cloak and try not scream," Elayna said to Erk, stuffing a piece of her cloak into her mouth. "Lyn, pull out the shaft once I break off the head. Serra, heal him right after." Serra pouted at being interrupted, yet still nodded. Erk groaned in pain when the arrowhead was broken, and when Lyn pulled out the shaft, although the sound was muffled by Elayna's cloak. A pale blue glow then shone from Serra's staff as she chanted, Erk's wound glowing with the same color, before closing up and without leaving a scar.

"Are you alright now?" Elayna questioned Erk.

"I'll manage," he replied as they heard a shrill whistle from up above, prompting Lyn and Elayna to rush to the edge of the forest, dragging their two newest allies along with them.

"Good. And in the future, do remember to be careful when you're casting fire, especially in dense, dry woods like this."

* * *

The four of them quickly reached the edge of the forest where the rest of the group was waiting. Elayna immediately spoke to their pegasus knight, demanding to know what information she could give about their enemies. Florina quickly relayed the fact that they were bandits, what numbers they had and that they had a small bunch waiting up ahead, while the largest band was following along the path they themselves had taken.

"What shall we do?" Sain asked. "Their rear group is too large for us to engage effectively, but if we attack the front group, they'll keep us pinned down until the others catch up."

"Kent, Sain, Florina, go back until you come across the bandits' rear group," Elayna barked out after a quick moment's thought. "Take every precaution you need, but keep harassing them and delaying their advance as long as you can. Once you're almost here again, disengage and head straight into the forest until you reach us. Make sure they follow you, but stay well ahead of them."

"Understood," Kent said solemnly.

"What're the rest of us doing then?" Wil asked.

Elayna then turned her attention towards Erk, with what could have been taken for an evil glint in her eyes, and said "Remember what I just said about being careful with fire? Well it's time to throw caution to the wind."

* * *

On the other side of the forest, at a fair distance from the trees, the Ganelon bandits' advanced group, nearly a dozen men strong, was standing in wait for Lyndis' Legion. "Hey boss," one of the bandit underlings spoke up, sounding a little worried. "Are you sure we can beat these guys?"

"Don't tell me you're starting to have doubts about this," the leader said.

"No, it's just that, well, they beat Migal and Carjiga, and both of them had more guys than that woman and her friends."

The bandit leader suddenly spun around and backhanded the hesitant underling. "Idiot! We can't let them get away so easily! If they get out of this alive, everyone'll start thinking that we've gone soft! This time, we won't bother holding back and trying to capture the women. We'll wipe out every last one of em!"

"Yes, boss."

A few impatient moments later, Lyn and her friends emerged from the forest, with the exception of Florina and Erk. "Ha, there they are!" the bandit leader pointed out as they moved away from the woods, stopping at about halfway between the tree line and the bandits.

"Oh great, it's these idiots again," Wil said sarcastically. "Don't you guys know what happened to the last of your gang that was stupid enough to try attacking us?"

"You guys think you're so tough, don't you? Well, now you're gonna learn why people fear the Ganelon bandits!"

"Get this through your thick, ugly heads," Lyn spoke up, hand resting on the Mani Katti's hilt. "We care absolutely nothing for you, or your reputations! We need to get to Lycia, so get out of our way, or you'll pay most dearly!"

"Ha! We've got a whole bunch more of our boys coming up from behind. Between the two of us, you won't stand a chance." Elayna chuckled darkly at this, just loud enough for their enemies to hear. "And what's so funny, bitch?"

"I just had an old saying come to mind that seemed appropriate for this situation. 'If you play with fire, you get burned'." All of a sudden, a torrent of flames appeared in the woods behind them. Aided by dryness, leaves and debris littering the ground, the relative density of the forest and the preparations Elayna had ordered beforehand, Erk, whom Florina had taken up on her pegasus, was able to set the small forest ablaze with a few fire spells. The bandits who'd been coming after Lyndis' Legion screamed as they were burned alive, the flames hungrily devouring plants and men alike without discrimination.

Shocked by their brethren's horrifying deaths, the remaining bandits charged with reckless abandon. "I'll make you pay for this!" the bandit leader cried out in anger, rushing straight towards Elayna, who merely stepped to the side, causing his axe to sink into the ground instead. One of her knives then laid open his arm, while the other sliced across an eye. "Play with fire, you get burned," she whispered, before she cut out his throat.

* * *

The battle now over, they decided to rest before heading to the inn Sain had mentioned. A few of them had some injuries which were patched up by Serra's magic and a couple of vulneraries. As they did this, Elayna went around, congratulating everyone on accomplishing their part. "Well done Lyn."

"Thanks. You did pretty well yourself. You really have talent with your knives."

"Although I usually prefer to avoid fighting myself, as with this case, the situation demands it sometimes."

They then both approached the cleric who was fussing over Erk in her usual manner, with the mage in question being quite exasperated. Lyn cleared her throat which caught their attention. "Might we have a word with you?"

"Yes, of course," Serra replied.

"As I was saying before, my friends and I are on our way to Caelin. And given that it isn't a big detour on the way to Ostia and there is strength in numbers, we would like to know if you'd be interested in coming with us."

Serra pondered on the question before asking, "Might I inquire as to why you're headed to Caelin?"

"We are bringing the Lady Lyndis to meet her grandfather Lord Hausen, the Marquess of Caelin. But his younger brother, Lord Lundgren, sees her as a threat to his ambitions for the throne," Sain barged in.

"Really? Well in that case, we'd be glad to help. My staff and Erk's magic should be helpful."

"Great. My name is-"

Sain was interrupted when Elayna elbowed him in the side. "Shouldn't you be helping Kent?"

Elayna rolled her eyes as the green knight went towards his companion at her suggestion/order. "Glad to have you two with us. We'll be leaving soon and staying at an inn on the other side of the border," Lyn said before walking over to talk with Florina.

"I'm Elayna, wandering tactician currently in Lyn's service," she said, introducing herself to the group's newest members. "I apologize if I seemed harsh earlier, but battle is a serious matter, with little time for levity. However, I do find your skills in healing to be commendable."

The Cleric smiled brightly at the compliment. "Of course they are Elayna. And I'm sure we'll get along just fine."

Elayna stood next to Erk, and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Keep following my orders, and I'm sure I can find a way to minimize the amount of time you have to spend with Serra."

"Thank you," Erk's said in relief.

"Come on everyone! Move out!"

* * *

By the time they arrived at their destination, the sun had already begun to set. The inn was a relatively tall building with a sign hanging overhead that named it, "The Weary Traveler." Kent, Sain and Florina went to the stables to have their mounts cared for while the rest of them entered through the front door. At first sight, Elayna could tell that it was well kept. There we're no more than ten people present apart from themselves, one of them being a serving girl and another, the inn's owner. "Welcome to The Weary Traveler. My name is Lora Arphen. How may we be of service to you?"

The innkeeper was a fairly tall, but slim, blonde woman with a cheery disposition. "Good day mistress Arphen. We would require food and rooms for the night for nine people, if this isn't too much," Lyn said politely.

"Of course we have more than enough for you all."

She then led them to the rooms upstairs. After a quick discussion with the rest of their group to decide who would sleep in which rooms, they all unpacked their belongings and headed back down to the common room. Having fought their last battle against the Ganelon, everyone found themselves to be quite hungry. Elayna ate her soup by herself until Kent decided to join her. "Hello Kent. Is Sain to busy flirting to converse with you?"

The expression on the red knight's face confirmed Elayna's suspicions. "He does it so often one would think I'd almost be used to this by now," he muttered. "Do you mind if I sit with you?"

"Not at all." He took a seat opposite to her while she continued her meal. "So, how does it feel to be back in Lycia?"

"I'm glad to be in my home country. It has been a while since I left."

"What can you tell me about it?"

"We're divided into many cantons, each ruled by a marquess, with Ostia being the most powerful and the head of the Lycian League. Caelin may be relatively small in comparison, but we've maintained a stable economy for years, and have produced many stalwart knights."

"That I do not doubt."

Kent remained silent for a while, mulling over his thoughts with a frown before he spoke up again. "If you don't mind, there's something in particular I'd like to talk about."

"You're starting to find my methods questionable and they're grating on your knightly pride, yes?" Kent simply nodded in response, to which Elayna sighed a little. "However war is conducted, there's one simple truth about it: it's an ugly thing. I receive no particular joy in killing people myself, or giving out orders that see others die, but some things need to be done, no matter how unpleasant. And the day hasn't yet come when I'll do nothing and allow my friends and allies to die."

"I believe I can understand your point of view," the crimson knight said. "And although your morals may be different, you've proven yourself well enough to earn my trust in battle."

"Thank you. And if you have other concerns in the future, I promise to address them as best I can."

* * *

A few days later in Castle Caelin, news of Lyn's entrance into Lycia was being delivered to Lord Lundgren. "That little girl and her friends crossed the border?"

A soldier stood in front of him as he read the message. "Yes my lord. They've been reported heading towards Araphen."

"Just how did they make it through the Bern Mountains?"

"The agent at the border said that apart from Kent, Sain and the unknown woman, the girl is now accompanied by a Pegasus Knight, an archer and Cleric from Lycia, a Bernese fighter, and a mage from Etruria."

"Grr! Send out soldiers to stop them. Hold nothing back, I must have them crushed. First my brother and now his granddaughter… They stand in my way despite what I throw at them. Increase the poison's strength. Pour it down his throat if you need to. Once they're gone Caelin will be mine."

"As you wish my lord."

* * *

Please review, I'll reply to all and I consider any suggestions you have.


	7. Chapter 6: Madness in Araphen

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem and I never have.

**

* * *

Chapter 6: Madness in Araphen**

It was not so long after sunrise that the members of Lyndis' legion got within sight of the city of Araphen. It was surrounded by mammoth walls, interspersed with watchtowers and wide open gates that a trickle of people went through. "Milady Lyndis, if you will, I shall ride ahead to seek an audience with the marquess and inform the guards of your arrival," Kent spoke to Lyn.

"Of course you may do so Kent, we shall wait for you not far from the gates," she replied.

The red knight put his fist to his heart in a salute and sped up his horse towards the city. As he moved out, Elayna turned towards the rest of the group. A small smile crept over her face as she looked them over. Their clothing was worn and dirty, except for Serra, whose white robes were free of even the slightest speck of dust. She was riding with Sain, who was obviously making advances on her and instead of rejecting him like many women did, she was openly flirting back.

Wil was chatting amiably with Erk, the latter seemingly relieved to have some distance between himself and 'The Pink Haired Devil'. Florina was on her Pegasus' back, yet had decided to stay on the ground. Dorcas was off by himself, softly singing a song from Bern about the river Erendil she had often heard before.

Lyn and Elayna were walking next to each other. The swordswoman wore her blue tunic-skirt, with the Mani Katti at her side and had a pensive look on her face, which the tactician, still wearing her green robes and cloak, had not failed to notice. "What's the matter Lyn? You seem concerned with something."

"You know back when we first met Kent and Sain, you spoke about nobles' behavior in regard to my people. I was thinking about how Marquess Araphen might react."

"Well… Personally I've met few nobles or people of similarly higher station I could truthfully say that I cared much for. But there are always exceptions to certain rules. For example, most of the common people in Bern are hardly fond of the King and with good reason, but the Prince is supposed to be different from him. So if we wait and see, we'll find out what kind of person the marquess is."

"I guess your reasoning is sound. It should do no harm to wait."

"But just in case, I'd advise on refurbishing our supplies and visiting a blacksmith. Wil is getting low on arrows and most our whetstones are getting used, so we'd need a couple of those."

* * *

Shortly after, they arrived at the city's main gates. There we're no more then five guards present, most being younger men except for the corporal in charge who was gray haired. "Are you the Lady Lyndis and her party?" The corporal spoke in a ruff voice at the same time that he looked the group over.

"That is correct. Kent has told you of our arrival?" she replied, though more softly.

"That he has Milady. Please enter. The castle is straight ahead." He gave her a short bow and motioned for them to move along.

As they passed through, Elayna took a good look around. Houses stood side by side, along with inns, all manner of shops and many other different buildings. Most we're made of stone, some with wood and a few of the more luxurious ones with brick. There was a good amount of people walking along the paved streets, ranging from dark skinned to a nearly white pale, wearing clothes of silk and wool, hair styled in braids, hanging loosely or in what ever fashion they pleased.

"So this is Araphen," Lyn said, a slight touch of awe in her voice. "It's so big."

"The second biggest in Lycia as it is." Sain now walked aside his horse. "Just after Ostia."

"It looks a little like Bulgar and it does seem rather busy. Say, how long should it take for Kent to be back?"

"Well, he'll probably speak to the chamberlain or someone of the same station before being able to see the marquess, then he'll have to explain our situation to him and after the decision is made he'll come out. There's also the possibility of being delayed if too many people are trying to see the marquess, although Kent should have little problem getting through."

"And I used to think that politics in Sacae we're complicated," Lyn muttered.

* * *

As they waited for the red knight to return, most of the group stayed relatively close together, with a few of them going into some of the shops to pick up supplies and other things that were needed. Elayna was by herself, leaning against the wall of a shop, simply looking around at the flow of people. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a small tug on her bottom of her robes. She stood off of the wall, looked down and saw a small black haired girl, about six years old, wearing slightly used clothing.

"Sorry miss, but have you seen my mother?" she asked in a tiny voice. "She looks like me, but she's taller, wears brown clothes and has blue eyes."

"I'm sorry I haven't seen her, but just wait a second I have something to give you." Elayna pulled her bag in front of her, at which the girl nervously gave a quick glance behind her. She rummaged in it for a second before pulling out a small cloth doll with one eye missing. Getting down on one knee, she put one hand on her shoulder and looked directly into her eyes. "Do you really have a mother?" she spoke softly.

"Mommy went to a far away place two years past." A few small tears fell onto the girl's cheek. "Please don't do anything bad."

"I'm sorry for your mother," Elayna said with sincerity. "And don't worry, I won't hurt you or your friend. Could you hold your hands out please?" She did as asked and Elayna gave her the doll. "My mother made this when I was very little, I'd like you to have it now."

"Th-thank you," she stuttered. "Almost nobody is ever this nice to me."

Elayna turned around to face a boy a little older with similar traits standing behind her. She gently took his hand as she spoke to him. "Take care of your sister will you?" The boy nodded and she pulled her hand back as she stood up, leaving him with a small handful of gold crowns. They both looked at her with smiles of gratitude on their faces before running off into an alley.

"That was very kind of you Elayna," Lyn said. The tactician blushed at this.

"Oh! I think I see Kent coming around. Let's gather everyone close."

By the time that the familiar red knight reached them, they had all come together and were waiting for him.

"Milady Lyndis! We may proceed to the castle. Marquess Araphen has agreed to give us supplies and soldiers to aid us on our way to Caelin."

"He did?" she said surprised.

"Yes. Araphen and Caelin have had good relations for a long time. As soon as I told the marquess of our situation, he agreed to help us."

Elayna raised one of her eyebrows. "I don't suppose he's doing all of this for free? He must have asked for something in return."

"Correct. He did request a meeting with 'Madelyn's Daughter'. I heard that he was fond of your mother before she left."

They all made their way towards the castle. As they got nearer, they heard shouts and screams coming from further ahead. The people began to run in the opposite direction. "The castle is burning. Someone's attacking the castle," they heard among the cries of panic.

They soon made it to a square where they were greeted by the sight of a group of spear-wielding infantry attacking two cavaliers wearing uniforms similar to those of the guards at the gate. Elayna gave a quick order, followed by Wil shooting one of the spearmen in the back and Erk blasting another with a fireball. Having already gained their attention, Lyn, the two knights, Florina and Dorcas charged the rest.

While they fought, Elayna noticed one of the men going after Serra. As he advanced on her, he failed to notice the tactician before one of the hands holding his spear was cut open and the knife responsible plunged up to its handle in his throat. As the pulled her dagger free, she saw a swordsman rushing towards Lyn from the other side of the square. "Lyn look out," she shouted.

Lyn turned at the warning, but the opposing swordsman was too close for her to effectively bring her blade around in time. As she did, an arrow flew through the air and struck the man's neck, dropping him onto the cobblestones. Elayna looked at the direction that the arrow had flown from and saw a Sacaen atop a brown horse, a bandana covering his hair, a quiver on his back and holding a curved shortbow in his hand. With his help, they soon defeated all their enemies.

The Sacaean moved his horse in Lyn's direction at the same time as Kent. "Lady Lyndis, are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. This man saved me," she nodded at her fellow nomad.

"Would you tell us your name?" Kent asked, eyeing him with a guarded look.

Instead of answering, he turned his horse towards the two Araphen cavaliers. "Wait!" The nomad turned his head to look at Lyn. "Why did you help me?"

He was silent for a second, as though deciding whether he should answer or not. "I thought you we're a Sacaean plainswoman being attacked. I was wrong."

"No you were right! My name is Lyn, I'm the daughter of the Lorca chieftain."

"The Lorca?" he said, almost with surprise on his face. "There were survivors?" He turned his horse back to face her.

"Yes. No more then ten were left, myself included."

"I am Rath of the Kutolah. You should not tarry here. Someone is attacking the castle. As captain of the guard I must help defend it."

"How severe is the situation?"

"The marquess has been accosted and the fire has not yet spread widely."

"We'll help you then."

"Are you certain?"

"These people are after me. Therefore, I must help if possible."

Rath simply nodded. "Is there any way into the castle beyond the front gate?" Elayna asked.

"Yes. There's an underground tunnel in a storage house at the south end of the city that leads to the throne room. But there are three triggers needed to open it. Two are in the barracks at the north and far south ends of the city. When both are set off they'll open the first part of the passage, in which we'll find the third trigger. All of them need to be activated in order for the second part to open and let us through."

"The barracks are locked, aren't they?"

"They are. I have a key that will open one of them." As Elayna thought about how to deal with the other, she glimpsed a man hiding in an alley.

"Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to come out where the rest of us can see you?"

He stepped out of the shadows, revealing a brunette man wearing a red cloak. He wore a dagger on his belt and had an amused look on his face. "Peace, I mean no harm to you all. My name is Matthew. I saw your fight and thought you could use my help."

"What can you do?" Lyn asked.

"Well, I have certain 'special talents' that you might find useful in opening the barrack doors." He twirled a set of lockpicks around his finger.

Lyn looked at Elayna, silently doubting whether to hire the thief. She gave the swordswoman a small nod. "Ok then. You're hired. But why ally yourself with us?"

"To tell you the truth, your side seems more fun than theirs," he said pointing his thumb at the dead spearmen, "and you look like you have more to offer."

"Good enough. My name is Elayna. We'll discuss payment at a better time. Rath, take Kent, Sain, Florina and your two men," she indicated the cavaliers they had saved, "and go to the north barracks. Lyn, Erk, Wil, Dorcas, Serra, Matthew and I will take care of the south barracks. We'll meet at the storage house when we're done. Go!"

Before they split, Lyn spoke to Rath. "A thousand blessings upon you, my friend."

"And a thousand curse upon our enemies," he replied. Then he, Florina and the four knights went north on their mounts, while Elayna and her group went in the opposite direction.

As they made their way to the barracks, they could hear the faint sounds of battle throughout the city. After a while they arrived at their objective, yet saw half a dozen men wielding spears and swords, with no discernable uniforms, who were standing guard. Motioning for the group to hold back, Elayna quietly gave her orders. "Matthew, you and I will go out there cause them to come closer to the rest of us. Wil, Erk, Lyn, Dorcas, be ready. Serra, you stay behind."

"Are you certain this is wise Elayna?" Matthew asked. "You could get hurt."

"I've learned to defend myself over the years master thief," she said coolly, "you just worry about yourself."

They both walked out onto the streets and stopped at a reasonable distance from their enemies, acting as if they had just seen them. "Well hello there," Matthew said. "I don't suppose any of you ladies know what's going on around here?"

Matthew's comment obviously struck a nerve amongst them. "WHAT, did you just say?" Rage seethed through the voice of the one who had spoken.

"I would have thought even people with as few wits as you would be to make sense of what he just said." Elayna's voice was filled with ridicule.

Enraged even further, they wasted little time before charging the two of them. As soon as they did so, Elayna and Matthew dived to the side while one of the brigands was burned by a fireball, another took an arrow to the forehead, a hand axe sunk into the third's chest and the Mani Katti cut the fourth just beneath his ribcage. The remaining two were dispatched when Lyn spun around and stabbed one in the stomach, while Matthew put his dagger in the last man's back.

The thief then took out his lockpicks from inside his cloak and got to work on the metal doors. Before long, the doors had been unlocked and pushed open. Since no more enemies were near, he darted inside and stepped on the trigger, which happened to be a stone on the floor painted differently from the rest.

He then rejoined the group as they headed towards the passage's entrance. When they arrived, they were greeted by the sight of the four knights, Florina and Rath assaulting the men placed to guard it. Lyn ran at one of the spear wielders, sidestepping his thrust which only bit lightly into her side and killed him with a thrust of her own. Matthew went for a different one, avoiding his spear and trapping it with his cloak, while Elayna kicked his hand causing him to drop it, leaving him wide open for Dorcas' axe. Spotting a heavily armored foot knight among their enemies, Erk started to chant as he held his hand out.

"Arake, Erion, Firia. Arake, Erion, Firia. Arake, Erion, FIRIA." He yelled out the last word and a stronger fireball smashed into the knight's chest plate, burning a hole in it and scorching the skin underneath. Seeing an opportunity, Wil and Rath both shot arrows in his now exposed torso.

"Lord Lundgren…" he gurgled, before falling to the ground.

They quickly patched up some of their injuries and went into the storage house. A large part of the floor was open, revealing the passageway. Going down, they triggered the last switch and then continued down the tunnel that opened in the wall.

* * *

The group soon met up with the remaining castle guards and fought back the invaders. They were soon driven from the castle and the marquess was found unconscious in his rooms. Lyn and her friends were then given rooms and bidden to wait until the marquess awoke.

* * *

Later in the evening, Lyn finally received a message from the marquess requesting her presence in the throne room. She, Elayna and the two knights had all been prepared for the occasion. The two women simply wore their same garb, yet it was no longer dirty. They had cleaned themselves in bathtubs and during that time, someone had taken their clothes to wash them. Kent and Sain meanwhile, had polished their armor until it shined.

When they arrived at the doors to the throne room, they were greeted by two of the marquess' guards. Having already left their weapons in their rooms, they were let through without protest. Rath waited for them inside and lead them to the throne where the marquess was sitting. When they got before him, they all bowed in their own manner. Kent, Sain and Rath got down on one knee with a fist to their chest. Lyn held her hands behind her back and bowed deeply from her waist. As for Elayna, she kept her arms straight on either side, leaned her head forward and bowed slightly, though not as much as Lyn. The marquess seemed to question her short bow.

Rath introduced them as he was kneeling. "The Lady Lyndis of Caelin, the Tactician Elayna and the Knights Kent and Sain my lord."

"You may all rise." The marquess' voice sounded almost bored.

When they got up, Rath took a position just behind the throne on the right side. Elayna discreetly examined the marquess as they waited for him to speak. He looked to be near fifty years of age, his blond hair had not yet started to gray. He was dressed extravagantly, his coat filled with golden threading and buttons made of silver. A look of disdain formed on his face as he focused his attention on Lyn.

"Lady Lyndis." He pronounced the name with contempt in his voice. Are you aware of who is perpetrator of the attack?"

"Yes. I believe these men were sent by my granduncle Lundgren."

"Right. Therefore, my castle and my city have been damaged all because of your family's petty inheritance dispute."

Lyn seemed struck by his words. "I-I am sorry."

Elayna frowned at this. The marquess' behavior was in no way improving her opinion of him. "When Kent informed me that Madelyn's child was in need of help, I thought to give her my assistance. I've now changed my mind. My offer is no longer available."

Kent spoke pleadingly. "Marquess Araphen, you gave me your word that you…" but was interrupted.

"That I did. Regardless, you failed to inform me of one detail of most vital importance!"

"But my lord, what do you mean?"

"As much as this girl does resemble Lady Madelyn, I did not expect her to be so tainted with the blood of the Sacaean barbarians." His look of contempt grew even worse as he said this. Rath's face flared with anger at the marquess' words then regained it usual stony expression.

Though normally not one to be easily enraged, Elayna tightened her fists and quivered with anger, while Sain took a step forward. "You miserable…" he spoke through clenched teeth, but Kent held him back. Lyn simply stood where she was, anger and outrage evident in her face.

"Sain hold! My lord Marquess, please… You promised to give us your aid."

"I've heard that Marquess Caelin is ill and abed. It's not likely he'll survive to meet his granddaughter. Should he die, his brother Lundgren will be in power. I'd rather not be at odds with the coming marquess."

"You dirty scheming old man!" Elayna shouted.

"But…" Kent started to protest but he was interrupted again, this time by Lyn.

"I see. Kent, Sain, we take our leave at once. I am proud of the Sacaean blood that runs in my veins. I will NOT accept aid from one who disparages my heritage, even if he was willing to offer it."

The marquess turned his attention to Elayna. "I would speak with you alone if you will."

"Don't worry Lyn, I won't be long," she reassured her friend.

He waited until Lyn had stormed out with the two knights following her and the guards had closed the doors before addressing the tactician.

"Tell me something. Why do you follow that mongrel? A person with your talents would be more suited for working for someone of a higher station."

Elayna glared fiercely at the marquess. "One, she saved my life and I seek to repay her. Two, I swore before that I'd serve only causes I judged worthy. And above all else, I follow her because she's my friend. Not that you know the meaning of the word. I wish I could insult you, but I can't think of a word foul enough to describe you." At that, she turned around and marched out.

Marquess Araphen muttered to himself as he watched her leave. "Bah! Arrogant child! If she had shed but one tear, I would have granted her request. We Lycian nobles will never understand those prideful savages."

"Are those truly your feelings toward my people?" Rath's voice had a touch of anger.

"Oh, Rath! My comments do not reflect on you. I am proud of your service."

"Of course. You care not where we're from so long as we bend our knee to you."

"What are you saying? I have treated you better than your kind deserves."

"You will never understand. My service is over." He took off the pins on his shoulder indicating his rank and dropped them on the floor. He kicked open the doors and slammed them shut.

* * *

As Elayna headed back to her room to gather her belongings, she met up with Lyn who had been waiting for her. "Did you really mean what you said back there?"

"Was I talking that loudly?" Her friend gave her a small smile. "Of course Lyn. You're my friend and you always will be no matter what we go through."

Lyn then surprised her by throwing her arms around her in a hug. "Elayna… Thank you for always standing by my side."

They separated to get their own things. When Elayna got to her room, she saw Matthew leaning against the wall opposite her. "It this a bad time?" he asked.

"It's as good as any I suppose. How much are you expecting?"

"Something close to five hundred gold crowns."

"Fifty."

"Two hundred sixty."

"One hundred forty. Half now, the rest when the job is finished."

"Done." They shook hands and Elayna reached into her pack to take out the gold. She counted out fifty crowns and handed them to Matthew. "That's strange," he said, "I count only fifty."

"And I count seventy. The fifty crowns I gave you now and the twenty that are… missing from my purse." She smirked at his stunned expression.

He regained his usual look and smiled in return. "Well then, shall we be off?"

"Yes let's."

* * *

The members of Lyndis' legion soon got together just outside the castle. Aside from Matthew, they had also been joined by Rath. As they left Araphen behind them, Elayna couldn't help but think that their troubles were far from over.

* * *

Please review, I'll be grateful for anyone who does and if you don't, well at least you took the time to read it.


	8. Chapter 7: Familiar Faces

Disclaimer: I still don't own Fire Emblem. Would you believe that?

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Chapter 7: Familiar Faces**

It had been a few days since the events at Araphen. Lyndis' Legion had now passed the border into Kathelet. According to her map, Elayna determined that at the rate they were currently going, they'd be able to reach Caelin within a dozen days. The group's members were mostly making conversation amongst themselves, with the exception of Florina who was flying overhead and Rath who was by himself. As she looked at their surroundings, the Legion's thief made his way to her. "Hello Matthew. See anything interesting?"

"Nothing really. Unless you count the plants and animals as such."

"I'd hardly expect a tree or a rabbit to be in Lundgren's employ."

"Even if we find one that is, I'll still be able to protect you against it." He grinned in amusement as he said this. Mention of such things made her think about the events that had happened the previous evening.

* * *

The group had decided to rest for the night. A river flowed near their site and a cluster of trees stood not too far from them either. Everyone was doing their part to set up the camp. Wil and Rath were off hunting, Kent was trying to catch fish and the rest were doing various other tasks. Elayna was off by herself, studying a map of Lycia they had gotten from Araphen. As she did so, she looked up and saw Matthew approaching her. "Are there insufficient jobs to keep you busy? You never struck me as the kind of person that would run from them." Her voice was laden with sarcasm as she talked.

"You would doubt my reliability?"

"Not entirely. Just regarding certain things. Such as having to work."

"Ah well. I don't suppose you'd need any help?"

"Maybe. How well do you know Kathelet?"

"I haven't been there so often, but I do know that-" Elayna saw his eyes widen as he stopped abruptly. Following her instincts, she dived down into a roll and got up to face the opposite direction. A man dressed in non-descript brown clothing and holding a small knife in one hand had been trying to creep up on her, yet had been spotted by the brunette man. As soon as he had seen the assailant, Matthew had automatically shoulder tackled him in the stomach. The attacker went to push him off with his knee, but it met only air as the thief had already jumped off. He sprung up as well and went to draw another dagger. However, he was interrupted when Elayna's knife sprouted in his hand. Matthew had by now drawn his own and stabbed their foe in the heart.

Seeing that he was dead, Elayna put away the knife she held in her other hand. "Are you alright Matthew?"

"As much as can be, Lady Tactician." He took both daggers from the man's body and handed Elayna's back to her.

"Thank you for what you did. And just so you know, I am not a noble, nor do I particularly like them, except for Lyn. Therefore I'd prefer you didn't address me as one, Master Thief."

"As you command, so shall I obey." He gave her an enigmatic smile, to which she simply rolled her eyes.

* * *

Two days after the assassin had tried to kill Elayna, they found themselves on the outskirts of a small village deeper in Kathelet. When they reached the edge of the buildings, they saw a young boy coming down the street. He was a small child, no more than eleven years old, had short pale blue hair and eyes that seemed red. He spotted the group and immediately ran towards them. "Can we help you?" Lyn asked.

"Are you all mercenaries?" He spoke quickly.

"Maybe we are."

"Please, I need your help."

"Milady Lyndis, you can't let your guard down. Even for a child," Kent warned.

"Yes yes. Forgive me, but we're in a bit of a hurry. Can you tell us your problem?"

"There's no time to lose. It's my sister Ninian. Some cruel and evil men have taken her away."

A spark of recognition appeared on Elayna face as she heard the name. "Did you say your sister's name is Ninian?" The boy nodded. "I've seen you before. You're Nils aren't you?"

"Yes that's me. I remember you Elayna."

"Don't worry we'll help you. Lyn, I can assure you that he means no harm to any of us. If his sister's been kidnapped, we must save her."

"Milady, your grandfather." Kent objected.

"Kent. I… I want to help him. I am worried about my grandfather, but I can't let any harm come to an innocent child."

"As you wish."

"Will you bring us to the men who did this?"

He nodded. "Be careful though, they're pretty tough."

"We're pretty tough ourselves. We'll be able to handle them."

He lead them to the other side of the village, where they were greeted by the sight of three men wearing black robes. One had a hood covering his head and the other two had bandanas wrapped in a way that showed but a small line across their eyes. The hooded man carried an ancient looking black tome in his hands, one of the others had a broadsword on his belt and the last held a shortbow. On their robes, they all had a symbol showing a black wolf's head with its fangs bared. Being from Bern, Elayna immediately recognized it as the symbol of the Black Fang. The tome carrying man took notice of the group and was about to dismiss them before his eyes settled on Nils. "Ah ha. There you are! Come on, it's back to Lord Nergal with you."

'Nergal? That name sounds familiar.' Elayna thought to herself.

"No! I'll never go with you. Give me my sister back!"

"You don't have a choice in the matter. You're coming with us whether you want to or not." He signaled for the swordsman to grab Nils, but Lyn stepped in front of him with the Mani Katti in her hand. "What do you think you're doing?"

"He's going nowhere. Let his sister go, or pay the price." Lyn's voice was deadly serious.

"You're meddling in things far beyond your understanding. You don't even know who you're dealing with."

Elayna stepped forwards as he said this. "As it happens, I do know who you are. You're Black Fang. You used to be worth an organization dedicated to helping the people of Bern, by getting rid of the nobles that were corrupt or abused their power. But then gradually you changed, became darker, deviated from the principals established by Brendan Reed. Now you take money from anyone to do whatever they want." She reached at her belt and drew her dagger. "Tell you what. If you stay away from Nils and free his sister, we'll let you live. If not…" She let the threat linger in the air.

The hooded man seemed to become 'darker' at her words. He held his tome flat with one hand and raised the other in the group's direction. As he chanted, the symbols on his tome glowed menacingly. "Hareck, Zactla, Drakanam." The ground at the man's feet suddenly became black like night itself. The darkness rose in front of him and joined to form a sphere of pure darkness. The sphere grew in size as the Shaman poured energy into it and the group stood half in awe at the power displayed. Suddenly, they heard a different voice from behind them speaking holy words.

"Hali, Veriu, Renaldesha." A blast of light flew over them and cut through the dark orb, before hitting the Shaman straight in the chest. The group shook off their stupor and seeing that the three men before them stood there in shock, they dispatched the bowman with fire, the swordsman lost his head to the Mani Katti and the Shaman received two arrows. One in the heart and another where his face would be. They turned around in the direction that the blast of light had come from and saw a person that it seemed hard to determine if it was a man or a woman. He, or she, wore bright blue robes and a white cloak on his back.

"We thank you for assisting us. Would you grant us your name?" Lyn asked.

"I am a monk of Elimine. My name is Lucius."

"What you want with us?"

"I was staying at the inn when this child came seeking help. The owner was afraid of getting involved and reacted rather… rudely. I would like to lend you my services. I wish to help the boy in any way I can, even if only a little."

"Of course you may. We'd be most grateful for your help. My name is Lyn. This is my Tactician Elayna," she indicated her friend.

"Thank you very much. May the blessing of St. Elimine be upon you."

Elayna nodded respectfully to the monk, then turned to Nils again. "Do you know where they took your sister?"

"Yes. There's a castle south of here, you can reach it by going around the mountain."

"Good. Let's get moving."

* * *

The group fought their way through the swarm of Black Fang soldiers that stood between them and their objective. Elayna stayed mostly behind the others, avoiding notice by the enemies and shouting her orders as they progressed. Nils stayed back as well as Serra so she could quickly repair any injuries. All foes they faced fell before them. Swordsmen, Axmen even a few magic users. Strangely enough, shortly after they crossed the bridged over the first river, Elayna saw Matthew go into a lone house and come out with a young blue haired man wearing heavy armor and carrying a double sided battle axe. Seeing that he threw himself at their enemies, she opted to adapt herself to this turn of events and continued directing her friends.

They finally arrived at the castle Nils had told them about after going across yet another river. At the gate stood another Shaman, similar to the one from before and two more on either side of him. In front of them were a band of two men with swords and one with a spear. The armored axe wielder charged at the spearman, who raised his weapon to defend himself, but the strength behind the swing snapped it like a twig and carved a large gash into his chest. At the same time, Lyn and Kent cut down the two other opponents. The Sacaean swordswoman stared directly at the Shaman leader. "Surrender now, or die," she spoke. Her voice devoid of emotion.

He simply sneered at the threat. "Foolish humans. You think to help the children, but you're only rushing to your doom. I am Lord Heintz. I am Nergal's most powerful servant. You cannot even hope to defeat me." He placed his hands on the other Shaman's shoulders. They withered at his touch and black energy poured from them and the dead soldiers into him. They dropped to the ground, as lifeless as the others. He raised both his hands and uttered the words for the familiar dark spell. "Hareck, Zactla, Drakanam." The dark energy rose from the ground to form an orb of darkness like the other they had seen, only this one was of greater size. The sphere moved towards Lyn who raised the Mani Katti. As she did so, Lucius threw another stream of light at the dark globe, yet it deviated from its course and flowed into her sword. She blocked the orb with the Mani Katti, which imbued with magic, disintegrated it in a heartbeat.

"NO! IMPOSSIBLE! NO BLADE HAS THAT KIND OF POWER! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?!" While Heintz shouted in panic, Lyn stepped forward and ran him through the stomach. Light then erupted from his mouth, eyes, the tips of his fingers and all over his body. A flash of light surrounded him and left nothing but a small pile of dust on the ground where he previously stood.

They all stayed still, shocked at what had happened. Elayna soon regained her senses and told Kent, Sain, Rath and Florina to remain behind while the rest of them headed into the castle. As they did, Elayna turned towards their blue armored companion. "Thank you for helping, but would you mind revealing your name?"

"I'm Hector of Ostia. And you?"

"Elayna, from Bern." They walked through the halls, looking for Nils' sister. They eventually found a pair of bodies lying on the floor. Both had the same wound in the throat from a thin blade, which marked them as killed by the same person.

"Ninian. Ninian." Nils shouted. "Where is she?"

"Lady Lyndis." Matthew approached her. "A villager saw a group of men headed south. They must have the girl with them."

"Then let us give chase!"

Nils almost cried at hearing the information. "No… It can't be. What if they already…"

A voice spoke from further down the hall. "Are you searching for this girl here?" They looked in the direction and saw a man carrying an unconscious girl in his arms. He was about twenty, his hair was red, his eyes blue, as well as the light armor he wore and his cloak with the inside red. He carried a rapier on his belt and the air of a noble around him. The girl was about Elayna's age, had blue hair that was pale almost to the point of being white, wore a dress of the same color, a white cloak and a necklace along with a series of bracelets that bore unusual runes.

"Ninian!" Nils ran to the redhead, worry painted on his face.

"She'll be fine," he reassured him. "She's just unconscious." Serra stepped up to him and relieved him of Ninian. She laid her on the floor away from them to heal a few minor injuries she had about her.

"Who are you?" Lyn asked.

"I'm Eliwood of Pherae. My father is the marquess there. I saw her being taken by some ruffians and decided to help."

"And you didn't even think about coming to ask me," Hector complained.

"Sorry Hector. I wasn't aware you had arrived yet."

"Pleased to meet you. My name is Lyn. I'm from Sacae. Marquess Caelin is my grandfather."

"Marquess Caelin?" he asked, surprised.

"Well, it started when I met my friend Elayna," she indicated the Tactician who nodded to him. She explained the events that had happened since that time. Eliwood listened patiently, never interrupting her. "And that's my story. I know it's not an easy tale to believe, but…"

"No. I do believe you."

"Really?" Lyn said. Taken aback that he did it so easily.

"At first glance, all I saw was a woman from the plains. But now I can see it. You have your grandfather's eyes."

"You know him?"

"Lord Hausen and my father Elbert are good friends. I also know that the proud people of Sacae never lie. Am I correct?"

'I guess not all nobles are as bad as the rest,' Elayna thought to herself.

"Yes... I didn't expect any Lycian noble would be this courteous to a Sacaean Nomad."

"Is there any other way I can be of assistance to you?"

"Thank you for your offer. But this is my problem and I'll deal with it."

"Ok then. I'll stay in the area for a few days longer. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. Lyndis, I'm on your side."

"Thank you once again."

* * *

A short while later, Eliwood and Hector had left the castle and Ninian had finally woken up. "Where am I?" she said, disoriented.

"Ninian! You're awake!"

"Nils? Is it really you? Oh thank goodness you're safe."

"Yup. These people helped me." He indicated the member of Lyndis' Legion near them.

"Who are they?"

"Hello Ninian. I hope you're alright. Do you remember me?" Elayna asked.

She frowned in thought before recognition dawned on her face. "Yes I do, Elayna. Thank you for your concern."

"This is my friend Lyn. She's the leader of our merry band."

"Good to see you're feeling better."

"Lady Lyn… Thank you. My brother and I are traveling performers."

"Both of you? What do you do?" Lyn asked with curiosity.

"My brother's a musician and I dance."

"That's odd, your clothes don't look like those of most dancers."

"I dance to honor life. My dances are special… sacred." Lyn had a look of confusion on her face. "When we travel, the dance I perform is just a normal dance. I was practicing my other one when they caught me and I twisted my ankle. I'm afraid I cannot dance to aid you. I'm sorry."

"There's no need to worry. We're just happy to see you alive and well. But about you leg… If you can't walk on it…"

"Wait I have an idea," Nils interrupted. "Would you allow us to travel with you?"

"It's far too dangerous. We're being hunted. We never know when we'll be attacked."

"We wouldn't be a hindrance. We can even help you with our… special talents."

"Special talents?"

"When something poses a threat to us, we can feel it coming. But we can't do anything to stop it. You're warriors, though, so you can deal with that."

"What's you opinion Elayna?"

"I know they're telling the truth. And talents like theirs could help us immensely."

Lyn nodded. "Are you sure you want to travel with us?"

"Of course we do!"

"We are most grateful milady." Ninian's face then transformed into a look of alarm. "Oh…"

"What's wrong Ninian?"

"My ring is gone."

"Not Ninis' Grace?"

"The very one."

"What was it?" Lyn asked.

"It belonged to our mother. She gave it to us before passing away. It's the only remnant we have left of her. And now those villains have taken it." A small tear dropped from their eyes.

Lyn thought about it for a second before taking Elayna aside to talk with her. "What do you think we should do? I'd love to recover Ninian's ring for her, but if what Nils said is right, those thieves might be too much for us to handle."

"I've spent most of my life in Bern, so I know about the Black Fang. And I know they're far from being pushovers. But, to lose the last memory of one's mother, I couldn't let them suffer that. Besides, we've faced tough enemies before and we've always triumphed. I believe we can do the same against these ones." She gave her friend an encouraging smile.

Lyn smiled back. "That's great. I was hoping you'd say that." They then gathered everyone together and headed south in pursuit of the lost heirloom.

* * *

Hope you liked it. I'll probably take a break from this story for a while before starting up again. In the meantime, I'd really like it if I got at least one review before posting the next chapter. I'm not going to stop it if I get none, but it would be fun, even if it's only constructive criticism. Thank you for reading. And thank you to happyazngirl for pointing out the spelling error.


	9. Chapter 8: A Shadowed Army

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem. That much should be fairly obvious.

Note: I know there was something I wanted to type here, but I forgot what it was. So until I remember, well I'll just leave this.

**

* * *

**

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Chapter 8: A Shadowed Army**

Lyndis's Legion was now travelling south-southwest, in pursuit of the Black Fang and the ring they had stolen from Ninian. They followed their trail much to the credit of Lyn and Rath's not inconsiderable tracking skills. Despite having fought against the Fang not so long ago, they still felt as if they'd had a good night's sleep. They had taken a short period of time to rest, during which Nils had played his flute. The music that flowed from the instrument had enthralled and invigorated them so that when they were ready to leave, nobody felt their previous tiredness.

As they made their way towards their objective, Elayna was discussing with Lyn about what lay ahead. "So, what do you know about the Black Fang?" her friend asked.

"To start with, they were founded by a man named Brendan Reed, maybe twenty years ago. Their goal back then was essentially to protect the common people of Bern from those of the 'upper classes." She put sarcastic emphasis on the words 'upper classes'. "They'd assassinate nobles who misused their power and neglected those beneath them. The commoners loved them for their efforts. Then they changed a while back and started to kill anyone they were paid to, no longer targeting only corrupt nobles. Someone must have hired them to kidnap Ninian and Nils. Most likely it's this Nergal they mentioned." She stopped for a moment, recalling the last time when she'd seen the two siblings.

* * *

"Ok Elayna, picture this. You're in a sparsely forested area. You have a force with you made up of archers, myrmidons, Pegasus knights and mages. You're being pursued from a distance by a group of enemies. They can't see you yet, but you can't outrun them for long. What would you do in this situation?" The Emerald Eagles had made camp for the evening at the edge of the Benval forest. Elayna was currently with Erik, studying tactics.

"I'd have the mages and some of the archers hide as best they could and have the myrmidons off to the side. The remaining archers I'd have them fly up with the Pegasus knights to fire on the enemy from above. When they'd reach a designated spot, the mages and archers would pepper them until a few of the Pegasus knights without archers would strike them at the same time as the myrmidons."

"A little unorthodox to use archers and Pegasus knights in such a manner, but overall it should prove effective. You really have a knack for this."

"Thanks. Hey Mark's back," she said as she spotted her brother coming towards them. He had a pair of rabbits hanging from his belt and was accompanied by two children. One was a boy about ten years old and the other, a girl no more than a few months younger than Elayna. They were as similar in appearance to each other as she was with Mark. "Looks like he brought some company."

"Hi Erik. Hello sister. This is Nils and Ninian. I ran into them when I was checking out the traps and offered them to stay with us for a while." He gave their leader a questioning look, silently asking if it was alright with him.

"Nice to meet you. You're both welcome to stay with us for as long as you like."

"Thank you. We are most grateful for your kindness."

"That's no problem. I'm Elayna and just in case the big oaf forgot to tell you," she indicated her brother, "that's my brother Mark." He put on a look of false hurt.

Elayna and Mark talked to the siblings about random subjects for some time. When they finished and went to the campfire to eat, Ninian offered to do a dance while Nils played the flute. They all watched and listened, amazed at the beauty of the performance. Suddenly the both of them just stopped and placed a hand to their foreheads. "Enemies approach," they murmured.

Everyone jumped to their feet with their weapons drawn and scanned their surroundings. A short moment later, they spotted a relatively small group of people coming in their direction. "Who are you and what is your business here?" Erik shouted.

The one in front of the others held up his hand for them to stop. He then pulled back his hood. The figure was a man with pitch-black hair, pale skin and golden eyes. He gave off a malevolent feeling, just like those behind him. "Lord Nergal has ordered us to bring him the children. All who stand in our way must be eliminated." He spoke with no emotion whatsoever in his voice.

"We don't care who you are or where you're from, but you aren't taking these kids anywhere. So if you don't want to die, then you'd better leave now," Erik replied defiantly.

"Lord Nergal has commanded us to bring the children to him. You stand in our way, therefore you will be eliminated."

"You asked for it."

* * *

"Elayna? Hello!"

The tactician came to her senses as her friend waved her hand in front of her face. "What? Oh sorry. I was just lost in thought." She blushed faintly from embarrassment.

Lyn smiled in amusement at her behavior. They continued walking for a short while before Matthew came to report to them. "Lady Lyndis, Lady Tact-," he was interrupted when by Elayna clearing her throat. "Elayna."

"What is it Matthew?"

"They've made a base in an abandoned fort a few minutes ahead, but there are no guards outside. I managed to sneak a short way in and found out that they have more or less fifteen units and the hallways are large enough for the mounts go through with relative ease."

"Can you draw us a map?" Elayna asked.

"Yes, but it won't be quite complete."

"Just do the best you can." She then turned towards their Pegasus knight. "Florina, can you ride your Pegasus like a normal horse?"

"Ye-Yes. I can do that."

"Good." Within a minute, Matthew handed her a nearly full sketch of the fort. She studied it for a moment, a pensive look on her face. "Ok everyone. Once we get inside, we'll split into two separate groups and each go one side of the fort. Lyn, you'll take Kent, Rath, Lucius, Matthew, Ninian and Serra. I'll be with Sain, Wil, Erk, Nils, Florina and Dorcas. Be sure to keep Ninian and Nils out of harm's way. Ok?" They all nodded in agreement. "Let's go!"

* * *

A ways inside the Black Fang's hideout, the leader of the group Lyndis' Legion had been pursuing was being questioned by a higher officer. The man had a rough face, blond hair, wore a set of brown light armor and a sword on his belt. He stood in front of a woman with blue hair and a stern expression on her face. She wore a purple riding dress, long gloves, held a staff with a gem inset at the top and was seated on a white mare. "So the brother managed to escape and the sister was rescued by a band of strangers. Do I understand you correctly?"

"Yes. We were ambushed a ways back and…"

"I'm not here to listen to your sorry excuses."

"Yes ma'am."

"How will you be getting the siblings back?"

"I've word that the entire group is headed after us and they have the kids with them."

"They're coming here? Why exactly would they be doing that?"

"Maybe because of this ring." He showed her a small silvery ring with runes inscribed on it. "We took it from the girl. It was a good thing that we did, especially if it brings them here. We'll use it to lure them into an ambush and grab the brats."

"Very well then. You'll have another chance to redeem yourself. I need to attend to business elsewhere, but I'll be back by sunrise tomorrow. If you do not have the children by that time… you will suffer the Fang's punishment for failure. Don't forget that. Bear it closely in mind." He gulped and nodded, at which she turned around and rode away.

* * *

Closer to the entrance, a pair of Black Fang soldiers were standing guard. Both wore similar dark red garb with the wolf head inside a green circle on their torso. One was a burly man wearing only his uniform and carrying a large axe in his hand while the other was smaller, though still well built, wore pieces of armor and held a broadsword. As they waited, they were approached by an archer dressed in the same manner as them. "We've been told there's a hostile group coming here. They have the boy and girl with them. Our instructions are to capture the children and kill the others."

"Yes sir!" The three men stayed at their post for some time before they were greeted by the sight of a Sacaean swordswoman and a knight in red armor coming in their direction. They raised their weapons and wasted little time in attacking them. The archer shot an arrow at the knight, which was deflected by his chest plate and cut into his right arm as he jerked back. The axe wielder tried to land a blow on him, yet was pushed back by a blast of light, before the knight managed to get his sword around to finish him. The swordsman went for the Sacaean, but she intercepted his strike and overcame him with a few moves of her own. In the short time that that happened, the archer went to draw another arrow, only to receive one in his neck.

"Are you alright Kent?" Lyn asked.

"I'm fine Lady Lyndis. It's just a minor cut."

"Serra come here will you?" The cleric went up to the knight who stepped down from his horse to let her examine his arm. She looked at it for a second before placing her staff next to the wound. She murmured a few words, then a thin stream of light flowed from the gem at the tip of her staff into his injury, that closed up almost instantly. "Is everyone else ok?" They all nodded. "Good. Let's keep moving."

* * *

As Lyn's group was making their through the Fang soldiers, Elayna's group was on the other side of the fort, alert so as to not be caught off guard by their enemies. Nils walked beside Elayna, while Sain, Florina and Erk formed the front and Dorcas and Wil the rear. They all had their weapons drawn, Wil with an arrow nocked and Erk ready to cast a spell. They continued like this until they reached a group of soldiers that tried to ambush them. Fortunately, they were utterly unsuccessful, as the tactician's sharp hearing had alerted them before they struck. They exchanged a few blows, after which their enemies lay dead on the ground, each killed in a different manner.

The group walked past the fallen enemies and shortly afterwards reached a solid wooden door blocking their way. Erk went up to it and grabbed the handle, yet however much he tried, the door refused to open. "What do we do now?"

"Let me take a look at it." Erk stepped aside as Elayna took his place. She sheathed her dagger and placed her hands around the handle. The others watched as she seemed to fiddle with the handle. Only a short moment later and she pushed the door open.

"How?" Erk asked dumbfounded.

"You just need to try different solutions when problems present themselves to you. Besides this isn't really the time to be discussing this kind of thing." They fell back into their positions and continued advancing towards their objective.

* * *

After fighting through different Black Fang soldiers wielding weapons as varied as their own, the two groups met back before confronting the leader. They barged into a wide room in which stood a last knot of fighters. Instead of immediately engaging them, Elayna chose to hold back to offer them a chance to capitulate. "You're the last ones left, the others are all dead. If you surrender now, you will all remain unharmed."

"No…" the leader said. "I can't fail. I mustn't fail. The consequences are too great." Elayna sighed before signaling her friends to attack. They resisted with much ardor, yet fell before the members of Lyndis' Legion. The fight dragged on for some time, until everyone had blood on their clothes and weapons, safe for a few of them. When they were finished, all of the Legion's party remained standing, with an assortment of cuts and bruises. Of the Fang, only the leader remained, a gash in his sword arm, his weapon on the floor. He was on one knee, pain and disbelief on his face.

Lyn stood a few feet from him, the Mani Katti pointed in his direction. "Give us the ring! And swear this oath. You will promise to leave these two alone. If you do, I'll let you live." Her tone made it clear what would happen if he didn't.

"Failure means to die." He snatched a small vial from his pocket and swallowed its contents before any of them could stop him. His face contorted for a split second before he fell face down, his eyes closed and his mouth opened slightly.

They all stood stunned at his actions. "Was that poison?" Lyn said aloud. "Why would he take his own life?"

"The Black Fang is a large and powerful organization. My guess is that he feared the punishment he'd receive for failure more than he feared death," Elayna explained. She searched through his pockets and pulled out the item they had come all this way for.

Ninian and Nils had looks of fright on their faces. "Ninian, Nils. Everything's going to be fine." Lyn reassured them. "So long as you stay with us, no harm will come to you." Nils' features changed only slightly at her words. "You saw us triumph didn't you? With Elayna's skills and my sword, you've no reason for fear. When we all work together, there's no challenge that we can't prevail. It doesn't matter who comes after you, I won't let you be taken."

"Really?"

"Yes, you have my word."

"And mine," Elayna added. The others all followed their example in assuring the twins that they'd protect them.

"I can't thank you all enough," Ninian said with tears in her eyes.

"Seeing you alive and well is all we need. And here's your ring. That lout had it with him." Elayna handed it back to her.

"I… I… Thank you." They all smiled at the joy expressed by them. Though seldom one to show much emotion, even Rath cracked a small smile.

* * *

I hope you liked it. Please review if you have questions, comments, request or anything to say. I read all reviews and don't delete any unless they're really insulting. But that hasn't happened so far. Next chapter probably won't show up for a long time. Explanation for that will be on my profile. By the way, I just wanted to know if you think I put too many flashbacks so far.


	10. Chapter 9: Trouble at Caelin

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem, its characters, plot line and all that stuff. I do own Elayna (not the tactician part) and I'm pretty sure that's all for now.

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Chapter 9: Trouble at Caelin**

Lyn and her group had just reached the edge of Caelin after their journey through Araphen and Kathelet, with a detour to chase after the Black Fang. They were currently in a lightly forested area with a village nearby. Elayna had sent Matthew ahead to gather what information he could. The rest of them were waiting for his return, during which the tactician took the opportunity to study a map of Caelin with Lyn. "We should be about here," she pointed to a certain spot. "With the speed we've been going and the distance left to cover, it should take us more or less two days to reach Castle Caelin. That is, unless Lundgren's obstacles cause any major delays."

"Two days… We'll get there no matter what he throws at us," Lyn said with determination. "Just hold on Grandfather. I'm coming."

Elayna gave her friend a reassuring smile. "Don't worry Lyn. We'll make sure you get to see your grandfather. Just keep faith in your heart and a smile on your face and everything will be fine."

Lyn smiled in return at her words. Elayna turned to have a word with Wil, when Nils and Ninian spoke up in the voice they used when they sensed something bad. "Danger approaches."

Everyone suddenly stood ready. "Where?" Elayna asked.

As if to answer, the twins tackled Lyn to the ground. The reason for such an action was made clear when a three foot bolt embedded itself in a tree behind where Lyn had previously been standing. Elayna cursed as she realized what it was. They then happened to see Matthew running as fast as he could towards them. "Elayna!" he cried out. "There's a-"

"Ballista stationed a ways over there," she indicated the direction the bolt had come from.

"I see," he said as he noticed the bolt planted in the tree.

"Are there any enemies positioned around where you've been?"

"No that area's clear," he answered.

"Wil, can you work the Ballista?"

"Yeah I know how."

"Good. Matthew, lead Wil, Lyn and Erk around the mountain to the Ballista. Take out whoever's manning it and seize it. Erk, when we engage the enemy, send two fireballs straight in the air to let us know it's clear. Florina, stay out of sight here until you see Erk's signal, then come with us. Everyone else, we're going around the hills to fight the enemies we find there. Lyn, we'll join up with you later."

* * *

Belan stood in the ballista at the foot of the hills. He was a soldier of Caelin who followed Lundgren even though a fair number of people did not. Being the best archer in the area, he'd been chosen to man the siege weapon that had been deployed to help them. Sir Yogi had relayed Lundgren's orders to kill the members in the group lead by the Sacaean girl. Near him were three other soldiers. One a swordsman and the two others were knights sitting atop their horses. All four of them were adorned in uniforms of the Caelin army. "So, did you hit anyone?" the swordsman asked.

"I can't tell," he answered. "Whether I hit anyone or not, it's unlikely they'll manage to get at us. Especially with all the men waiting for them." The swordsman nodded at this. They were waiting for their enemies to approach the units stationed at the path around the hills. When they saw them, the ballista would weaken their numbers so as to tip things in favor of Yogi's men.

Despite Belan staying alert at his post, he had little warning from the approaching members of Lyndis' Legion. An arrow zoomed past him and pierced one of the knights' throats, who emitted a gurgle as he died. The rider next to him perished when a fireball smashed into his head, burning it in a matter of seconds. The swordsman raised his weapon to meet the Sacaean woman's blade. As for himself, Belan reached for a knife at his belt, but instead, he received one from a brunette man when he threw it into his throat. The brief moment of consciousness that he had left was all it took for him to see the swordsman get struck down, before he fell into the slumber of death.

Erk, Matthew and Wil stepped up to the siege weapon. They pulled off the dead archer's body, the thief retrieving his knife in the process and moved the ballista so that it was aimed in the direction of their enemies. A moment later and the sounds of battle could be heard where Elayna had taken the others. Erk raised his arm in the air and shot two fireballs from his palm, one after the other, to notify the rest of the legion that the siege weapon was in their control. Then they prepared themselves for any enemies that would come their way.

* * *

Elayna, along with Serra, Nils and Ninian was behind the line formed by Dorcas, the two knights, Rath and Lucius. She had her dagger sheathed, but was ready to draw it in a flash. Not too long after, they reached the enemy soldiers stationed around the hills. She shouted her orders to the group and the battle was joined. In the midst of the melee, Elayna took note of the two fireballs that flew straight up from where they'd determined the ballista was located. This was eventually followed by Florina taking flight on her Pegasus.

At one point, just as an archer loosened his fingers on his bowstring, a large bolt flew into his neck. It came with such force that it decapitated him in the process. His arrow flew towards Elayna, but she'd had enough time to maneuver herself so that it only cut her robe and grazed her shoulder. Despite her luck, the wound was still bleeding sufficiently enough to cause Serra to head next to the tactician. She placed her staff near the wound and muttered magical words. "Heelea, Kyore, Ashinai," the healer said. Her staff's jewel shone for split second, during which the cut sealed up.

Elayna gave Serra a brief nod and turned her attention to the battle again. They continued fighting until all members of the legion had been reunited, except for Wil who remained at the ballista. One last knot of soldiers was left outside of a fort on the other side of the river. They advanced towards the legion with a touch of uncertainty about them. This was made more so when Wil fired the ballista's last bolt, hitting one man so hard that it went through and also killed the one behind him. Lyn and her friends took advantage of their opportunity as soon as it presented itself and charged the survivors.

They finished them off in a relatively short amount of time, including the heavily armored knight Sir Yogi. He fell to his knees as the Mani Katti found its way past his defenses and delivered a critical blow. "Lord Lundgren… I failed. Send… reinforcements… promised," was all he said, before falling face down. Dead.

* * *

The legion was grouped inside the fort, having left a field of dead soldiers behind them. Elayna, Lyn, the two knights and Matthew were sitting at a table discussing what had happened and what actions they should take in the future. "Milady Lyn," Kent spoke up. "There's just one thing that's bothering me," he said with a frown.

"What is it Kent?" she asked.

"I noticed this during the fighting. Our enemies… they were soldiers of Caelin. I even recognized some of them and I trained with many of them. And yet, when we met, they attacked us with no hesitation whatsoever. I fear that Lundgren may have more support than we anticipated."

"What does it matter?" Sain said. "They're all black hearted traitors who've joined up with Lundgren. Good riddance, I say. Besides, that means there will be less resistance at the castle."

"I hope you're right," Kent spoke sullenly.

"Matthew, you had something to say before all of this?" Elayna asked, referring to the battle they'd just fought.

"Yes. While I was in the village, I found out some very interesting news."

"Well, let's hear it," Lyn said.

His expression became grim as he relayed to them what he'd heard. "First of all, about Marquess Caelin's illness. He really is sick. He's been confined to his bed for no less than three months."

"No… Grandfather…" Lyn's face showed the sadness she felt.

"I heard an interesting rumor about his condition though. The people believe that the Marquess is being poisoned."

"What? He's being poisoned?"

"So I've heard. As for the person poisoning him… Well, nobody's brave enough to point them out. However, as soon as the Marquess became ill, a certain noble took over the castle as if they owned it. I gave a hungry innkeeper a few coins and they gave me a name in return. The marquess of Caelin's own brother, Lord Lundgren."

"How can this be possible?" Lyn said surprised. "Why are they allowing him to get away with this? The people know he's the one poisoning my grandfather, but no one's trying to stop him. Why?"

"They're afraid of taking action and they don't have the proof," Kent explained. "The whisperings of the common people mean next to nothing."

"That's all too true," Elayna said as she shook her head. "What about those who've remained loyal to the Marquess?" despite asking, Elayna already had an inkling of what the answer would be.

"As unfortunate as it is, there is no sign of anyone who might have proven these rumors to be true."

"Are you saying that they've been silenced?" Lyn asked.

"I'd say it's a fair assumption."

"This is unbelievable," Kent exclaimed.

"But that's not even the worst," Matthew said. "An imposter appeared, claiming to be the marquess' granddaughter. At least, that's the story Lundgren's been pounding into everyone's heads."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that people are waiting for two traitorous knights, a band of bloodthirsty foreign mercenaries and a baseborn child to appear and lay claim to Castle Caelin."

Elayna frowned at the mention of 'bloodthirsty foreign mercenaries'. Kent and Sain were shocked, to say the least, at hearing that they were accused of being traitors. "What? But… that's impossible!"

"Traitors? Us? No way!"

"He's saying that… I'm an imposter?"

"Unfortunately so. And with control of the broadsheet writers, Lundgren's been able to spread the story throughout Caelin. You wouldn't happen to have anything with you that would prove your connection to Caelin?" Matthew asked hopefully.

"When my mother left to join the Lorca, she brought nothing of Lycia with her."

"Milady," Sain spoke up. "Marquess Araphen himself remarked at your resemblance to Lady Madelyn! Your face is proof enough!"

"He'll say that we found a look-alike somewhere," Elayna filled in. "With you two seen as traitors and what he's been saying about the rest of us, I'm afraid Lundgren's word will mean more than ours. Besides, in my experience, nobles of his kind have a habit of seeing only what they want to."

"Our only remaining hope is to make it to Castle Caelin and see Lord Hausen," Kent said.

"We must hurry!" Lyn stated. "If not, then my Grandfather… I will see him! With my last breath if I must."

"But Lady Lyn, we need to have a plan of some sort," Matthew reminded her. "Even if we go through with this, there are still troops patrolling the castle. We've been branded as traitors and foreigners after all."

"I've got it! Eliwood... He seemed sympathetic to our plight. He should still be in Kathelet. If we can talk to him, he said he could help us!"

"It's likely the best idea we have for now," Elayna commented. "He did say he would be in the area for a while. Just one thing Lyn, I know you're in a hurry to see your grandfather and all, but we really need to rest a little bit longer."

To everyone's surprise, Lyn snapped at her friend. "What do know about all this? My grandfather's dying and you want to stay put here? I've already lost both my parents and I'm not going to let my grandfather die as well, even if you can't understand the pain of losing a loved one. Last I checked, I commanded this army. And we're going back to Kathelet."

The two knights and Matthew leaned away from Lyn's outburst. Elayna was both shocked and hurt that her friend would say such a thing. Despite the fact that she felt tempted to prove her wrong, she simply looked down in shame. "As you wish Lady Lyndis. I'll go tell the others about the arrangements." The tactician got up from her seat and went to inform the other members' of Lyndis' Legion of the decision.

Realizing what she'd just done to her best friend, Lyn got up and ran to apologize. She caught up, placed a hand on her shoulder and gently turned her around so she could talk to her face. "I'm sorry Elayna. I… I didn't mean to yell at you. Just because I've lost people I cared for doesn't mean that I have a right to say such things. I know you were just concerned about the group. I'm deeply sorry for what I said and I hope that you can forgive me for it sometime."

Elayna placed her own hand on Lyn's shoulder and gave her a smile. "We all say things we'd rather not at one point or another. I understand that you lost your parents and that you don't want the same to happen to your grandfather. There's no reason to worry, I forgive you."

Lyn wrapped her arms around her friend in a hug. "Thank you. I'm happy to have your support and you as my friend."

Elayna returned the embrace. "And I'm happy to be your friend." They separated themselves after a moment. "Although, I could do without you kicking me in your sleep," she said with a mischievous smile.

Lyn laughed goodheartedly at the comment and gave her friend a light smack on the shoulder. "I do not!" she replied in a false tone, acting as if she were offended.

* * *

Elayna was currently sitting against a wall, writing in her journal. She took notes from the previous battle, how each member of the legion had preformed individually and as part of the group. She also wrote down descriptions for some of the people she was with. "_Matthew: Sly, witty, can be annoying at times. Has a habit of 'relieving' people of their things on occasion. Appears to be quite skilled verbally. Likely is more than he seems to be._" The tactician shut her book. "Matthew, despite the fact that what I'm writing may be about you, I'm not about to tell you what it is."

The thief in question grinned widely. "Why's that? You're not writing anything bad about me are you?"

"Don't worry, I'm only writing the truth."

"There's no need to be so harsh," he said.

"As unfortunate as it is, not everyone is surrounded by lies and deceit," she replied.

"Ah! You wound me!" he acted as if he were hurt.

"Oh quit whining, you big baby. You should get ready by the way. We'll be leaving soon."

"Very well then. I shall do so." He gave her an elegant bow. She shook her head and chuckled at his behavior. She herself put all her things away and slung her pack over her shoulder. Not too long after and the whole group was ready. They then left the fort and went on their way to seek out Eliwood's help.

* * *

I wanted to make this chapter a bit longer, but I didn't really have more material than this. I hope you felt it was worth the time you took to read it and if you don't mind, review are greatly appreciated.


	11. Chapter 10: Being a Noble, Being Noble

Disclaimer: I do not, I have never, nor will I ever own Fire Emblem.

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Chapter 10: Being a Noble, Being Noble**

Fog rolled by on the border between Caelin and Kathelet, not so thick as to prevent anyone from seeing, but still present enough to reduce visibility. On the Kathelet side, there was a good sized village. Despite the fog, there were still some people up and about, doing their every day business. The members of Lyndis' Legion were currently in this village, waiting for Eliwood to return with news of his success of failure. They hung around, dealing with the wait in their own manner. Erk was talking with Lucius, both comparing the similarities and differences between anima and light magic, Rath was involved in a conversation with Wil about archery and horses and the rest of the group were generally chatting amongst themselves or waiting quietly.

Lyn and Elayna stood next to each other, the Sacaean woman's outburst now forgotten and buried. They talked about their homelands and how they were governed. Elayna spoke more of the land itself that Bern's rulers, her disdain making it fairly obvious what her opinion of them was. Lyn talked equally about how the plains were ruled and different parts of them she'd seen so far. The group ceased their conversations as they noticed Eliwood approach. He walked up to Lyn and gave her a small smile.

"How did it go?" Elayna asked.

"I just received word from Caelin's neighbours, Laus, Tuscana, Kathelet, Tania and Santaruz. They won't be interfering in Caelin's affairs. This much they've promised."

Lyn had a relieved look upon hearing this. "Thank you. I don't know how we can repay you."

"Unfortunately, I only managed to convince them to not pick sides in this dispute. So I won't be able to help you more than what I've done so far either. Will you be able to manage the rest?"

"We will win," Lyn said with determination. "We must. It's the only way I can save my grandfather. But with everyone's skills and Elayna's tactics guiding us, we will emerge victorious."

"I'm sure that you will. Although I can't help you directly, as a friend, I pray for your success."

"Thank you. I won't waste the opportunity you've given me. Until next time." Eliwood gave Lyn and Elayna a respectful nod which they returned, and then he left the village behind. They followed his example soon after.

* * *

The group was now in Caelin again. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened since leaving the village where they had met up with Eliwood. After talking with Kent and Sain, it had been determined that the best path for them to take would be south through General Eagler's estate. Elayna walked at the front of the group alongside Kent's horse, questioning him about what lay ahead. "So Kent, what do you know about this General Eagler?"

"When Sain and I first became knights, he was captain in charge of new recruits. He's an honourable man and has always been loyal to Caelin for as long as I knew him. He lives in Castle Eagler not far from here with his wife, son and daughter. Apart from that, he's a good fighter and strategist."

Elayna nodded as she listened. She was as interested in the fact that he had a family as his talents for strategy. "I wouldn't be surprised if we had to fight regardless," she muttered to herself.

Kent had still heard her. "Why's that?"

"Since he's stationed near the border, Lundgren will pay more attention to him. He'll have tried to close up the most likely places we could enter Caelin, one of them being here. Either Lundgren will have replaced Eagler with someone he can command, or maybe he has a way to make him to do his bidding."

"He would never follow someone like Lundgren," Kent said.

"Perhaps not willingly, but if he has a hold on him, then he could force him to do so anyway."

"But how?" Kent's look turned to one of disgust and surprise as he realized where Elayna was going with this. "You don't mean to say, his family?"

"One of the darker sides of war I'm afraid," she replied sullenly.

"That's-" but he was interrupted when Elayna held him back.

"Wait, there's something coming."

The group stopped in their tracks at Elayna's signal. They stretched their ears for the source of the disturbance. A brief moment later, and they could hear sounds coming in their direction from around a bend in the road ahead of them. There was a noise they'd guess was metal against metal, accompanied by heavy footsteps. Without the need for their tactician to issue the command, they all drew their weapons and held them at the ready.

A man stepped into their line of sight. He wore thick silvery plate armor over his whole body and held a big spear in one hand. His head was bare, not only from lack of a helmet, but also because of his being bald. He was in his mid-fifties, but still quite strong, as his step was steady even with the weight of his armor. The look on his face was one of no-nonsense that said he was scared of nothing. Sain urged his horse beside Kent's as the armored man stopped a short distance from them. "So, you've finally come," he spoke to the two knights.

They were both stunned as they got a better look at him. "You! You're…"

"Lord Wallace!" Kent exclaimed. Elayna raised an eyebrow in question. "He's former commander of the Caelin Knights."

"Aren't you supposed to be retired now?" Sain asked. "I thought that you were sowing fields."

"I am and I was. But I received orders from Lundgren a while ago. I was told to capture an imposter and a pair of rogue knights."

"Lord Wallace! Tell me you don't truly believe us to be oath breakers, do you?" Kent asked in shock.

"Bring me the girl that claims to be Madelyn's daughter and I'll make my decision then," he replied in a serious tone.

"What do you want with her?" Sain had a guarded look at his request.

"If I don't like what I see, then I'll take her."

Elayna's hands were hidden within the arms of her robes as she stood ready to draw her dagger if needed. "We won't let you take her," Kent said sternly.

Wallace simply laughed at this. "You? Stop me? You must be joking."

Lyn made her way to the front so she could address him. "Enough of this! I am Lyndis! You might not believe me, but that won't change the truth. I will see my grandfather! Whether you move aside or stand in my way!"

The armored knight's expression softened while he looked at Lyn's face. "Such beautiful eyes…" he murmured. Lyn's face revealed the surprise she felt at hearing this. "I've been a knight for thirty years and if there's one thing I learned, it's that a person with eyes as bright and true as yours is no deceiver." He gave a booming laugh. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ah yes! I like you girl! Why, I believe that I'll even join your little band of mercenaries!"

"Are you serious?" Sain asked.

"This old bull's pledged his loyalty to Caelin. I would never permit a usurper to sit on the throne. Lady Lyndis, I am at your service." He slammed the butt of his spear on the ground and went down on one knee before Lyn.

"I accept your offer of aid Sir Wallace," she replied.

He smiled widely as he rose. "Then let us be off! Castle Caelin is still a ways from here."

As they continued marching, Kent couldn't help but comment about him. "He… he hasn't changed a bit."

"I like him. He's… honest," Lyn said.

"That he is. General Wallace is a great man."

* * *

Later on, when they were around a mountain on their way to Castle Eagler, the group encountered a band of Caelin soldiers. Like the ones they had fought when they crossed the border for the first time, these men were not friendly towards them. These enemies lay dead on the ground soon after, gashes, arrows and magic burns about their bodies, with no real harm done to the legion. Though she'd been expecting it, Elayna was no happier at the idea of another battle. "Erk, Dorcas, Kent, Wil and Matthew, sweep north around the mountain and down the other side. I wouldn't put it past Eagler to have units hidden in that area so they can catch us between them and the ones he'll have at the castle. Everyone else, we're continuing this way to Eagler himself."

They all wordlessly obeyed and split into the mentioned groups. Matthew leading north with his sharp sight and Elayna doing the same with the others on the more direct path to the castle. Wallace, Sain and Lyn formed the front, Rath and Lucius were the middle with Florina flying above and Elayna stayed in the rear along with Serra and the twins. As she usually did, Elayna scanned the terrain as they advanced, directing those under her command as if they were one. They crossed a bridge over a river, through a pass between two mountains, around a more forested area and across level land. As Elayna's group made its way across the terrain, they were met with more soldiers intent on stopping their passage.

They fought well, but were no match for the tactician's skills. Rath and Lucius disrupted their enemies, giving way for Lyn, Wallace, Kent and Florina to strike them down. None of the Caelin soldiers made it past their front line, either perishing against it or beforehand. Even if that particular skirmish had gone so well, as was often the case, there were still some injuries amongst the survivors, though nothing more than minor ones. After rapidly patching themselves up, they continued on their way.

Not too long after the last fight, Elayna and her group were greeted by the sight of a fairly imposing castle. Its walls were built with smooth gray stones laid out like bricks and held together by mortar. The structure was made to be more practical and durable rather than elegant, though it had its own beauty. At the front of the castle were another band of enemies. There were spearmen, archers, a few cavaliers and at their head was an armored horse and rider. The man atop had graying hair, a moustache, beard and disciplined expression. He wore darker gray armor with gold lining and the symbol of Elimine as well as a faceless helm. In his right hand he held a red shield, also with the symbol of Elimine and in his left was a sword. "Eagler," Wallace said.

"General Wallace," the armored rider replied. "So, you've taken the girl's side in this then, have you?"

"I fight for the honor of Caelin, not the lies Lundgren's been spewing."

"Is that so? And you Sain? Why do you follow the imposter?"

"General Eagler, I know for certain that Lyndis is Marquess Caelin's true heir. Please, you must at least look at her to decide for yourself," the green knight pleaded.

Lyn chose that moment to step up so that Eagler could see her fully. "I am Lyndis. I'm no pretender. My mother was Madelyn daughter of Marquess Caelin. I wish you could believe me, but your heart and mind seem set."

"…I will allow no imposter or traitor to pass beyond this place." He hesitated for a moment at seeing Lyn's face.

Elayna walked to the front of the group so that she could address him. "General Eagler, fighting will bring us nowhere. Lundgren won't release your family even if you win, he'll want to keep his hold on you." The man in question seemed almost shocked that she had accurately guessed why he was barring their passage. "Fight for the reason you know is the right one."

Again he hesitated, as if a blow had been struck by Elayna's words. "You fools. You're about to be crushed right now."

Matthew, Wil, Kent, Dorcas and Erk came from behind the already assembled members of the legion. "I rather doubt it. Your reinforcements have been dealt with."

Eagler looked surprised that his plan had been foiled. "No matter. I will not stand by and let you go through."

Elayna faded to the back of the group and then they charged the general and his men. They overcame their enemies in a short amount of time. At the end, Eagler lay flat on the ground, a bloody hole in his torso where Wallace's spear had pierced him. He coughed up blood as he spoke his last words. "Go… go quickly… The Marquess… he knows nothing… There's no illness… it's only… poison… Please… for the marquess… for all Caelin," and then he slumped back down, his body now devoid of life.

The two knights, Wallace and Lucius made the symbol of Elimine in the air. "May you find peace wherever you may go," Elayna muttered.

"He knew we were telling the truth," Lyn said. "But he fought us anyway to protect his family." No one said a word in response. "May Lundgren never know the peaceful embrace of Mother Earth!" she spoke fiercely. "No matter what others may choose to do, I WILL stop that man!" She turned her head to address her tactician. "Elayna, the final battle is approaching."

She nodded. "Don't worry, we will succeed. We'll all make sure of it."

* * *

At the same time in Castle Caelin, Lord Lundgren stood before Lord Hausen. The current Marquess of Caelin was in his chambers, propped against the back of his bed, his aged face seemingly more so with the poison that plagued him. The younger one had a taunting expression on his face as he looked down at him. "How are you feeling today, my dear brother?" Though the question could have been interpreted as an inquiry about his welfare, the tone of voice made it otherwise.

"Lundgren… You… You… fiend," he replied in a weak voice.

"Your granddaughter will have been killed already. And you will soon be joining her."

"Lyndis… Why did this have to happen? I… I only wanted to see her once."

"Have you lost all hope? Has your life lost all meaning?" Lundgren asked. "Then hurry up and die, you miserable old dotard! You, your granddaughter and her friends stand in my way!!! I curse you all! I despise you. My worthless wretch of a brother!" Lundgren turned around and marched out of the room, leaving his brother behind.

"Lyndis…"

* * *

I hope you liked it and if you don't mind, reviews always make me happy. I already have some ideas for the next chapter and I'll make sure to work on it instead of another fic, so it shouldn't take too long before its posted. That's about it for now. Till next!


	12. Chapter 11: The End of one Journey

Disclaimer: I do not own fire emblem, but I do own the stuff that isn't already in the game.

I'm sure I wanted to write something here, but I forgot what.

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Chapter 11: The End of one Journey**

The members of Lyndis' Legion were less than a day's march from Castle Caelin where Lundgren and his forces awaited them. It was now night time before the expected confrontation and most of the legion were either sleeping or on watch. Elayna, however, was doing neither. She was sitting by herself on a tree stump and pondering about her life. Thoughts of her brother ran through her mind. It had been months since they had last seen each other. She hoped that he was still in Lycia and that she would have the chance to see him again, though she didn't have a specific idea of where he was.

She reached behind her neck, to the red band that kept her long brown hair in a ponytail. Decided to let it free for a moment at least, she pulled it off and allowed her hair to drift by itself. Memories of her time with the Emerald Eagles surfaced. From when she and her brother had joined them, to the battles they'd fought and their disbandment. She found herself comparing them to the legion she was with now. Owen's steadfast dedication to Kent's own, Matthew's mischievous nature to her brother's and Serra's overbearing personality to Erika's.

Her mind travelled across her childhood for as far as she could remember. A few tears dropped from her eyes and splashed onto her cheeks as images of her parents appeared before her. She wiped her face off with the cuff of her sleeve. Elayna tried to focus on other memories in an effort to set those thoughts aside. She played back in her head the moments that she'd had with Lyn and the others so far. Her expression brightened a little as she remembered meeting Lyn, Kent, Sain and everyone else. She eventually came to the battle with Lundgren and his forces that would happen the next day. Her eyelids began to feel heavier, so that she blinked to stay awake. However, tiredness eventually got the best of her and she fell asleep.

* * *

Lyn walked back from Rath's tent, having gone there to wake up the nomadic horseman so that he could take her place at watch. She was going back towards her own, when she spotted Elayna sitting on a stump. "Elayna," she spoke to her friend. "Aren't you going to go to sleep sometime?" She received no response. Thinking that the tactician hadn't heard her, she moved closer. Lyn was about to ask the same question again, but stopped upon seeing her slumped figure. Her eyes were closed, she was breathing slowly and made no movement to the Sacaean woman's approach.

Lyn smiled to herself. She went to get both her friend's bedroll as well as her own. She laid both out on a good spot on the ground nearby and moved Elayna from her current position so that she was lying down comfortably. Lyn gently placed a hand on the sleeping woman's forehead as she whispered a few words. "May you have sweet dreams, my friend." Then she snuggled into her own bedroll and felt sleep overcome her senses.

* * *

Elayna found herself in a dark stone corridor. She instinctively reached at her sides, but realized that it could be nothing more than a dream, so she let her hands drop. There was about two meters of space from one wall to the other, three from the floor to the ceiling and no end or beginning in sight. No sounds came from her footsteps. Though this could as easily have been the fact that she was in a dream as much as her own stealthy nature or the long blood red carpet that had suddenly appeared on the floor. She walked along the empty hall, with no foreseeable change in scenery.

After a while, Elayna spotted something ahead up on the wall at her left. As she got closer to it, she could discern that it was a painting. Her attention having been caught by it, she decided to see what it was. It turned out to be the image of a tall and muscular man. He had shortly cut brown hair, bright blue eyes, a scar that ran across his left cheek and a broadsword at his hip. She recognized it immediately as her father.

She then took note of the other paintings further down. The next one was of her mother. A woman with long flowing blonde hair, resplendent brown eyes, a beautiful face and an equally beautiful smile. That one was followed by both her parents standing with an arm around each other. The fourth was not so cheerful.

It depicted her father lying on his back on the ground with his entire body covered in a multitude of cuts and wounds. Blood stained his clothing, his body and the earth around him. His torso was lathered with deep gashes, his neck almost ripped apart, his arms and legs bloody and broken. Other men lay dead on the ground beside him. All had a tattoo of a six pointed star on their right shoulders. The hilt of her father's sword rested in his open right hand, the blade covered in the other men's blood. Above it, were the words, 'Why? Why did you fail us?'.

Elayna gasped in shock and fear, then ran away from the disturbing image. She passed by a series of other ones. Such as her mother carrying herself and her brother while running. She was pictured as if struck in the back but still continuing, despite the look of pain and suffering on her face. The same words as before were written above.

There were a few that showed a different man being stabbed in the back and dragged away by someone hiding in the shadows. She ran along the hallway, the people in the paintings almost looking at her accusingly.

She fell down to her knees in tears shortly. "No, please no," she cried out between sobs. She then happened to notice the painting she was kneeling in front of. It showed her brother lying on the ground, his eyes closed and a single bloody line drawn from his left shoulder to his right hip. The very same bloody words on the top. "No. This can't have happened. This is impossible. He can't be dead," she cried out in denial. "NOOOOOO!"

* * *

Elayna woke up with a start, a terrified expression on her face. "What's wrong Elayna?" Lyn asked from beside her.

The tactician calmed down slightly. She took note of the fact that she was sitting in her bedroll near the stump where she'd previously been reflecting. The sun had risen to an early morning height, casting some light on the camp and its inhabitants. "I... I... I..." Elayna stuttered.

"It's okay," Lyn said reassuringly. "Just calm down and take a deep breath." She breathed deeply a few times, calming down further. "Now do you mind telling me what's wrong?"

"A nightmare," she muttered. "A bad one."

Lyn had a sympathetic look on her face at this. "Come, let's go take a walk. Maybe you'll feel better afterwards." The two young women got up and walked towards a small brook a short distance from the camp. "Please, would you share with me what your dream was about?"

Elayna took a few deep breaths, before deciding to give her answer. "I dreamed that I was in an endless stone hallway. On one of the walls, there were paintings. The first few weren't bad, but... Then I saw those that showed people dying. My parents, my teachers, my friends, my brother. They looked at me and said... and said that I'd failed them."

Lyn reached towards her friend and held her in a gentle hug as she cried on her shoulder. "It's okay Elayna. It was only a dream. There's nothing to worry about. We're all here for you now. And no matter if we separate, we'll always be friends, this much I promise."

Elayna remained in her friend's embrace for some time. "Thank you Lyn. This really means a lot."

"I'm just glad that you're okay."

They then separated. "We should start continuing towards Castle Caelin soon," Elayna said.

"Right," Lyn replied. Both went back to the camp, Elayna's grief now replaced with determination.

* * *

The legion rode through until about mid day. Finally, they arrived at some mountains north of the castle. Though there was still a distance left to cover, everyone knew that they were nearing their goal. "Lady Lyndis," Kent spoke up. "You should be able to see Castle Caelin just after we pass around these mountains." In fact, they had to take a longer route to get to their destination. One reason being the mountains and the other was the way the bridges overlapping the rivers were situated. The path running towards the castle was generally plain, with some level land to the side and other places more forested.

"Grandfather... I'll be with you soon."

"Everything depends on this next battle. Lundgren will not be receiving the reinforcements he expected. He'll soon move against us with everything he has," Kent pointed out.

"Let him come! Let them all come! I will not be turned away! I will see my grandfather!" Lyn said with determination. "We've all come too far to let anyone or anything stand in our way." The member's of the legion nodded at this. "This is it Elayna. This is our final test."

"That it is," she replied.

"My friends, lend me your strength one last time!" The group nodded again and they began the final march towards Castle Caelin.

* * *

Not too far from the castle, there was a relatively small village. Most of the civilians that lived here had locked themselves in their houses when they'd heard of the battle that would happen in the area. However, there were certain exceptions to this. Three children, while still having the sense to remain within the village's walls, had snuck out of their respective homes to peek outside. They were looking through a few holes in one of the walls, just big enough for them to line up an eye against and see a bit of what was happening. Of these three children, two were young boys of about twelve years old, one with brown hair and the other's black and one was a girl about the same age with red hair. "What do you see?" the girl asked.

"Nothing's happening yet," the black haired boy answered. For the present moment, he and the other boy could only see a band of Caelin soldiers standing at the ready some distance from them. There were spearmen, swordsmen, archers, cavaliers and even a couple mages.

"Who are the people coming here?"

The brown haired boy turned around to answer her question. "They're called Lyn Legion."

"It's Lyndis' Legion you nut," the other boy corrected him.

"Yes, yes. Well, anyway… from what I heard, their leader is a girl from Sacae and she's Lord Hausen's granddaughter. She's supposed to be coming to defeat Lord Lundgren and save her grandfather with the help of her friends."

"Do you think they'll win?"

"Of course they will. They haven't lost a single-"

"Come on, look at this!" the black hair boy said urgently. "There's fighting going on over there."

The two other children pressed their faces against the wall and looked through their own holes. The Caelin soldiers were now engaged in a fierce struggle against forces that they would guess were Lyndis' Legion. A fireball aimed at a Sacaean horse archer was stopped by another from the opposing direction and the mage responsible struck in the throat by an arrow from the nomad in return. A blast of light nearly threw a cavalier off his horse, but made him vulnerable to a spear thrust from a heavily armored foot knight. A red knight clashed blades with a rival horseman and despite taking a hit, he overcame his opponent. A green knight took his place, charging with a lance in his hand, while his friend backed off and was tended to by a woman in white robes.

An archer wearing the uniform of Caelin's army aimed at the foot archer in the enemy ranks, but his shot was cut short when a javelin dropped from above and impaled him in the torso. A burly man wielding a battle axe carved a large gash in a spearman's chest, the one beside him perishing from a dagger flung straight into his throat. A Sacaean woman moved smoothly among her enemies, cutting them down as if she were doing a deadly dance with her sword.

The three children watched this battle from afar, awed at the skills displayed by the legion. "If Lord Hausen's granddaughter is their leader, then who's ordering them around now?" the girl asked. "I can't see anyone that looks like they're shouting orders."

"Neither do I," the boys admitted. Regardless of the fact that they couldn't see who was directing the legion, the three children continued watching them until their parents pulled them back to their homes.

* * *

Lyn and her friends defeated the all the Caelin soldiers that they encountered, leaving behind dead bodies as they progressed. By the time that they reached the castle, the mid day sun was high in the air. The gates slowly began to open as they approached their final objective. When they were fully opened, a man wearing heavy plate armor stepped out to face them. His armor was a reddish color and covered him from below the neck down to his feet in the same manner that Wallace's did. He had graying hair and a harsh expression on his face. He was followed by half a dozen armored knights behind him. "Lundgren," Kent murmured.

Even without Kent saying it, Elayna would still have known who he was. Lundgren looked over at the Legion arrayed in front of him. He grabbed a lance from his back and pointed it at them. "Caelin is mine!" he practically shouted. "In a mater of mere minutes, my fool of a brother will be dead and I will take the throne. You have entered my lands without my permission, killed my soldiers, laid claim to my crown. You are nothing more than a savage from Sacae and I will see you die here and now!"

With that said, Lundgren and the six armored knights engaged the legion. Despite their opponents' lesser numbers, Lyn and her friends had their hands full with them. At one point, Dorcas was in a melee with Lundgren. He thrust his lance at the Bernese fighter who swung his axe downward as he stepped aside, catching the weapon's end between the axe blade and shaft. He pulled towards him, which caused Dorcas to follow, and sent him back with a fist to the stomach. He then focused his attention on Lyn who was fighting one of the knights by herself. He neared her as she finished off her opponent.

Elayna saw him advancing on her friend. The other members of the legion were occupied with the other enemies and wouldn't be able to help the Sacaean swordswoman, while Lyn herself couldn't see Lundgren coming. Reacting instinctively, the tactician ran towards Lyn as fast as she could. Just as Lundgren was reaching out with his lance to stab her, Elayna knocked Lyn out of harm's way, but caused herself to be put in the position instead.

Before she had time to maneuver her body away, her left side just below the ribcage burst out in pain. While her actions had saved Lyn's life, they had also caused Lundgren's lance to pierce her. Blood poured from the wound, going onto the offending weapon and staining her robes. Lundgren pulled his lance back, at which Elayna crumpled to the ground and lost consciousness as it happened.

Lyn looked at her fallen friend in shock, and then raised her eyes to meet Lundgren's. Her look changed to one of fury directed straight at him. She charged her granduncle, his face showing the intense fear he felt from the swordswoman's anger. He raised his lance in an attempt to defend himself. This was proven futile when the Mani Katti fueled by her anger snapped it as if it were nothing more than a twig. The sacred blade went on to deliver a fatal blow to the armored lord, cutting off his head with the same ease as it had done to his weapon.

In the time that this had happened, the rest of the Legion had managed to eliminate the remainder of their enemies, though not without receiving a few injuries. Serra quickly made her way next to Elayna and kneeled down. "We need to treat her wound fast, or she might not make it."

Lyn took Elayna's cloak off her back and wrapped it around her wound. "Then let's get her inside the castle."

* * *

Elayna's eyes opened to the sight of a room's ceiling above her. She took note of the fact that she was lying in a very comfortable bed with silk sheets. She slowly pulled the coverings off of herself and could see that her usual green travelling robes had been replaced by lighter white robes. Her hand gently felt the bandages that were wrapped around her mid section. She gently pulled herself up to a sitting position on the bed so that she could have a better look at the room. It was well furbished, a tapestry that showed an emerald green dragon in flight hanging from one of the walls. Elayna noticed that Lyn was sitting in a chair next to the bed. The Sacaean woman woke up as Elayna tapped her on the knee.

"Elayna! You're awake!" Lyn wrapped her arms around her friend in a hug, careful to avoid pressing against her mid section.

"Apparently so," she replied with a smile as she returned the embrace. They remained like this for a few seconds until separating. "So, how long have I been unconscious?"

"More or less a day and a half. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good, all things considering. What about your grandfather? How's he doing?"

Lyn smiled brightly. "He's gotten way better already. The poison's gone and his condition's steadily improving."

"Wonderful!" Elayna said, happy that they had succeeded in saving him.

"Apparently there's going to be a grand feast to honor the legion tomorrow evening."

"Is that so? Never really been one for celebrations of the sort."

Lyn laughed at this. "Neither have I. Would you like to come see my grandfather? He'd like to meet you if you're okay."

Elayna shrugged her shoulders. "Why not?"

Lyn helped her friend get out of bed and walked with her to the throne room. On the way they met up with Matthew. "Glad to see you're all right Elayna," he greeted her.

"Thank you for your concern. You're leaving I assume?"

"Yes, I just wanted to make sure that you'd be okay before doing so."

"What about the rest of your payment? I thought that you wouldn't want to part without being paid for your services." Elayna had a knowing expression on her face as she asked the question.

"I've already been compensated for such. Well then, I shall now take my leave." He gave them both an elaborate bow and left went his own way.

They continued on until they reached the throne room. Lord Hausen was seated on a not overly decorated throne. He had signs of illness about him, but that were faded. Kent and Sain stood on either side of him. He and the two knights smiled upon seeing Elayna in good condition. She gave Lord Hausen as much of a respectful bow as she could. "Thank you young tactician," he said once she stood straight. "Your incredible skills and efforts have allowed for my granddaughter to save myself and Caelin."

"I only did what I thought was right," she replied humbly.

"Even so, you have done a great service to our people and I must thank you in return. Would you accept to be knighted?"

Elayna looked at Lyn who smiled at her. "I accept your offer Lord Hausen."

She lowered herself to one knee before the marquess. With help from the two knights, he stood up and took the sword Sain passed him. "I now dub you, Lady Elayna," he said as he gently tapped the flat of the blade on her shoulders. "You may rise."

Kent and Sain took back the sword and helped him sit down again. "Congratulations Lady Elayna," the red knight nodded to her.

She laughed a little as she got up. "I suppose I can't reprimand you for calling me that anymore." The rest of them laughed light heartedly at her words.

* * *

The next day, Elayna found herself back in the same room as she'd woken up in. Safe that now she was surrounded by what looked almost like an unending horde of tailors and seamstresses. They took measurements, pinned stretches of materials on her and asked questions all at the same time. After a longer amount of time than she preferred, Elayna was free of them and they went to make the clothing required for her. She found her way outside where Lyn had gone to. "Did they put you through the same torture as me just to pick out clothes?"

Lyn laughed at this. "They want everyone to look their best at the celebrations."

"Who do we know that's going to be there?"

"Well, Matthew's gone and so is Rath, but everyone else is going to stay until then. Even Eliwood's coming." They remained silent for a while, simply looking around. "So, Elayna, what do you plan on doing afterwards?"

"Well, I was going to travel around the rest of Lycia in further training. And I haven't seen my brother for some time, so I think that I'll try looking for him."

"You know, looking back on it now, when I found you unconscious on the plains… I never would have thought that we'd have such an adventure together. You've helped us so much and I'm sure that you've learned all you can from us. I won't ask you to stay, but just know that wherever you are, you'll always have a place here."

"Thank you. I'll make sure to come back one day."

* * *

By the evening, Elayna had been decked out in formal wear for the celebrations. She wore a long emerald green dress that flowed down. Around her neck she wore a silver necklace with a ruby at the end. On her arms were a pair of elbow length gloves that matched the color of her dress. Her hair remained in a ponytail that dropped down the middle of her back, but the band that kept it like so had been changed for a more ornate silvery one. She stepped out of the room and met up with Lyn as she made her way to the celebratory feast. The Sacaean woman had a similar dress on, except that it was a reddish color. Like her friend, she had a necklace, safe that hers was golden with a pearl at the end. She wore black elbow length gloves and had her ponytail kept together with a black band lined with gold.

"You're looking good tonight," Elayna remarked.

"So do you," she replied. "Shall we go?" They made their way towards the dining hall where the feast was taking place.

A valet was standing at the door waiting for them when they arrived. He announced them as they entered. "The Lady Lyndis and the Lady Elayna." The people gathered looked in their direction for a brief moment before resuming their conversations.

"Still not used to the title?" Lyn asked.

"I doubt I ever will be," Elayna replied.

Lyn and Elayna sat down side by side next to Eliwood who was dressed in formal clothing. "Lady Lyndis, Lady Elayna, you both look beautiful tonight," he greeted them. "And congratulations for your achievements."

"Thank you," Lyn said. "But please, just call me Lyn."

"I prefer just my name if you don't mind," Elayna added.

Lord Hausen tapped his glass with a spoon to get everyone's attention. The conversations died out and the people looked at him as he stood up. "I would like to begin by thanking everyone who came tonight. We are all here to celebrate the accomplishments of my granddaughter Lyndis, her friend Lady Elayna, and all the members of Lyndis' Legion. Without whom, I would not be standing here speaking to you. To Lyndis' Legion!" he said as he raised his glass. The other people followed his example and cheered as well, and then sat back down to begin the feast.

* * *

The morning after, Elayna had gathered her things and was in the stables. She had been offered a mount to bring with her, but she'd chosen a simple gray coat packhorse. The tailors and seamstresses had made her a new set of robes, which at her insistence were exactly like her previous ones. The apparel she'd been wearing for the celebrations had been left behind.

As she was getting ready to lead the horse away, Lyn walked into the stables. "Elayna… you're really leaving then?" She nodded in reply. "I... I'll miss you."

She walked next to her and gave her a last hug. "I'll miss you too Lyn." When they separated, both had tears running down their cheeks. Elayna took her dagger from her belt and cut away a lock of her hair which she passed to Lyn. "Here, you can keep this to remember me until we meet again."

"Thank you." She took the lock of hair, along with Elayna's dagger and cut the same length from her own. "Now we'll both have something with which to remember each other." Elayna took back her dagger and the piece of Lyn's hair. "Take care Elayna. I'll see you again some day, I know I will."

"Same to you. Goodbye Lyn."

"Goodbye Elayna."

Elayna then lead the horse out of the stables and Castle Caelin, her friend watching her with a look of sadness as she left.

* * *

Thus end Lyn's tale. I really enjoyed writing out this chapter, and the only thing that could make me happier is... you guessed it, reviews! I think I'll be setting this fic aside for some time, because it's a good place to take a pause to work more on my other fics. Thanks for anyone who's taken their time to read this story and it will follow into Eliwood's/Hector's tale when I get back to it, I'll put in a chapter for in between though. Until next time!


	13. Interlude: Something New Arises

Disclaimer: Too lazy to say it. So just look at some previous chapter.

First off, I'm sorry for taking this long to update. I could have had it up sooner, I even had a good chunk of it done a while ago, but I kept getting distracted by other stuff when I'd go on a computer. I hope this makes up for the wait.

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Interlude: Something New Arises**

Erkesior. The capital city of Bern. It was a large bustling place filled with buildings, people and even animals. It was built near a certain mountain on which lay the castle housing the royal family. Civilians, merchants, hawkers and even an odd noble or two went along the streets. A group of off duty soldiers still wearing their uniforms moved with the crowds, likely looking for a tavern or someplace to spend their earnings.

Down through the streets and across a maze of alleyways, there was a blond man wearing typical brown clothes and a dark red cloak snuck around, generally keeping to the shadows. After sometime, he reached the back of a certain building that just so happened to be a brothel. He went inside and came into an empty hallway. This was followed by him going into a simple bedroom also devoid of people. He walked next to the single bed and swept the small rug aside, revealing a trap door which he pulled open and walked through.

The underground complex was intermittently illuminated by torches. People ranging from young boys and girls less than ten years old to adults in their thirties could be seen around, some discussing amongst themselves, dicing at tables or other such things. Shortly after coming into this hidden area, he walked into another room, this with no decorations on the walls and nothing but a simple wooden desk at the end. A man in his late thirties was sitting at the desk doing paperwork. "Greetings, guild master," the blond man said.

"Yes Astel?" he replied without looking up. "What do you want?"

"Nothing much really? Just came to deliver a message."

The man at the desk put down his quill and looked up at his visitor. "And what might this be?" he said in a cautious tone.

"You're about to lose your position within the next few minutes," Astel said with a smirk on his face.

"Is that so? Well you're in for a shock if you think I'm going to let that happen. Sherik, Guilan," he called out.

"I think you'll find them to be quite unavailable at the moment. As are most of the people around here."

As if to confirm this, a pair of soldiers walked in behind Astel. Both of them had swords out with a bit of blood of them. "Sir," one of them said. "We've secured the complex and disposed of anyone who resisted arrest."

"Well done," he replied without taking his eyes off of the guild master.

"Who- Who are you?"

"Just a man doing his duty to the crown. Now, the king might prefer I bring you back alive, but I'm sure he won't be too upset if I only bring him your head. So, which would you prefer?" The guild master chose not to respond, and instead he sprung out of his seat and threw a stone on the floor which surrounded the room in a cloud of smoke. When it finally cleared, he was gone, but Astel simply stood in his place with a confident smirk on his face. The reason behind this was revealed when the wall opposite him opened up and revealed another soldier who was dragging the now dead guild master in one hand and carrying a bloody sword in the other. "Good job gentlemen. His highness will be pleased at this."

* * *

Nearly a year had passed since the incident in Caelin when Lyndis' Legion had put a stop to Lundgren's ambitions and Lyn had slain him with the Mani Katti. Of the fifteen people who formed the Legion, only five of them remained in Caelin. Lyn stayed to help her grandfather Lord Hausen recover and to take her place as heiress of Caelin. Kent and Sain had respectively been given the positions of Knight Commander and Sub Commander of the Caelin Knights. Florina and Wil had been knighted and were in service to House Caelin.

Rath and Matthew had departed before the others, each going their own way. Lucius chose to wander by himself, at least, until he joined up with a mercenary friend of his. No one knew where the twins Ninian and Nils were off to, though people speculated that they were likely practicing their talents somewhere. No one had any trace of Wallace either, though people didn't expect him to come back anytime soon, due to his poor sense of direction. Following the celebrations, Dorcas had returned to his wife to care for her and raise money to have her leg mended. After a longer journey that he cared for, Erk had finally succeeded in escorting Serra to Ostia and was free to return to his mentor.

As for the tactician Elayna, she had gone about Lycia almost aimlessly, further training her skills in tactics and all the while searching for her twin brother, though she'd had no success in finding him. Accompanied by Grace, the gray packhorse she'd been given before leaving Caelin, she had travelled quite a few places in Lycia, occasionally making a bit of money by helping villages in dealing with bandits, through use of her skills. Overtime, the wound she had received at Lundgren's hand had fully healed, leaving no trace on her person. Now seventeen years of age, Elayna had grown in height and beauty. Her hair was smooth, silky, and had just begun to turn a blond color like her mother's and her face was resplendent and matured, something visible despite the adverse effects of her travels.

At the present moment, Elayna was walking aside Grace who carried a tent she had bought, along with a few other of her belongings. She reached into her bag and took out a good red apple. She also happened to take out the lock of Lyn's hair at the same time. She smiled fondly at the memory of her friend and the promise she'd made to see her again. An amused expression crept onto her face when she noticed Grace eyeing the fruit. "You hungry, girl?" The horse neighed as an answer. Elayna reached into her bag again and replaced the lock of hair with a second apple which she held before her four legged friend. "Eat up." Grace was only too happy to comply and took the apple out of Elayna's hand.

After walking like this for some time, Elayna arrived before a reasonably sized Pherean village that she had marked down as her next stop while looking over one of her maps. She could see Castle Pherae a distance away and briefly debated the possibility of paying Eliwood a visit, but decided that if she were going to do so, that it would be later. A pair of militiamen greeted her at the gates and let her pass through with no problems, even pointing her in the direction of the inn at her request.

She nodded politely to them and went on her way. After arriving at the aforementioned inn, she lead Grace to the stables, relieving her on of the luggage and making sure that she would be taken care of, then went inside the main building and paid for a room for the night. She dumped her belongings on the bed and came back down to the common room for some food. Apart from herself, there was only a young green haired girl a few years younger who was sitting alone. Deciding that it might be nice to have company, Elayna approached the girl. "Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?"

"No, not at all," she replied in a cheery voice.

"Thank you," she said as she took a seat opposite her. "I'm Elayna by the way."

"My name's Rebecca."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. So, how long have you been around, Elayna?"

"I've been wandering about Lycia for the past year or so. I've only just arrived here today."

"Really? So where are you from then?" Elayna and Rebecca talked for a while. The subject going from their homelands, to their friends and Elayna's adventures with Lyndis' Legion. "I've heard about that mess with Lundgren," Rebecca said. "You must be really good to have guided your friends to so many victories." Elayna accepted the compliment gracefully with a smile. "So what happened to Wil?"

"After Lundgren's defeat, he stayed in service to House Caelin."

"I would have thought he'd have at least taken the time to write at least one letter," Rebecca mumbled to herself.

"I take it you know him?"

"We used to be friends when he lived here. That is, before running off on some wild adventure, seeking fortune with my brother Dan."

"Don't worry Rebecca. The next time I go by Castle Caelin, I'll make sure that he writes at least, and maybe I'll have him come back for a while."

Rebecca smiled at her words. "Thanks, Elayna. Say, have you heard about Lord Elbert's disappearance?" the green haired girl inquired.

"Not much, really," Elayna responded.

"He left Pherae with the best knights some time ago. He's been gone for too long now and rumours have started to go around. Ohh, there's my father. I have to go now. It was nice talking to you Elayna, I hope to see you again." On that note, she left the tactician by herself to mull over this latest piece of news.

* * *

In the meanwhile, a certain blue haired youth named Hector was storming through Castle Ostia. He was followed by an older man, who also happened to be wearing heavy armor. But where Hector's was mostly dark blue, his was an orange color with an emblem on the chest of a lion and snake which represented Ostia. "Brother!" Hector shouted as he made his way through the halls, startling a few servants in the process. "Brother! Where is he?"

"Lord Hector!" the man following him said. "Calm yourself before you frighten everyone in the castle away!"

"No words Oswin! Just keep moving!" he replied. After some time, both of them eventually arrived in the throne room where the ruling lord was sitting down and talking to a lower noble. He looked like an older version of Hector, except with black hair, a short beard and a few scars about his face. "Finally!" Hector said. "Found you at last!"

"Leave us," he addressed the other noble. "I must speak with my brother." The man bowed and made his way out of the throne room. "What is the meaning of all this, Hector?"

"You know full well, Uther!" he replied with a touch of frustration and annoyance in his voice. "The disappearance of Marquess Pherae!"

"We've discussed this time and time again. This matter is not for Ostia to concern itself in," he said sternly. "It would be folly if we were to involve ourselves in this."

"Eliwood's father is missing for goodness' sake!" he said exasperatedly. "We know that Marquess Laus is connected to the whole thing somehow. I say that we use Ostia's might to finish with this mystery and dig up the truth."

"Calm yourself, you fool! It would be madness to invade! Lycia cannot stand up against the chaos such an action would cause. Even you must be able to understand that!"

"Bah," Hector said dismissively. "I understand all too well, brother. Stay there and sit on your throne until it rots and collapses beneath you! I will do this all by myself!" He followed these words by turning around and marching out the same way he came in.

"Lord Hector!" Oswin called out.

"Peace Oswin," Uther said. "Leave him be. There's no reasoning with him when he get's like this."

"As you wish, my lord."

* * *

After leaving his brother and Oswin behind, Hector made his way towards one of the back entrances of the castle. He looked around and saw no one else but him. This both reassured and annoyed him. "Matthew!" he called out. "Matthew! Blasted thief! Where'd he run off too now?"

As if to answer his question, the thief who had taken part in the campaign against Lundgren stepped out of the shadows near Hector. "I'm right here," he spoke up, startling him with his sudden appearance.

"Gah! You… You're not a wraith. So stop sulking in the shadows like one."

"Hmm? A wraith? And here I am, thinking that I'm a spy. Regardless, as you ordered, I brought you your travel rations and your beloved axe." He passed him a travel bag as well as a double sided battle axe, which he was seemingly relieved to be free of. "Also, I've purchased the silence of some of the royal guards. You're free to slip out of the rear entrance and vanish without a trace."

"Good job, Matthew." He gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder that almost sent him crashing to the floor. "Just try not to let my brother discover my absence too quickly."

Matthew raised an eyebrow in question. "What? I was under the impression that I was going to be accompanying you."

Hector had a slight look of disbelief upon hearing this. "You're a bigger fool that I'd imagined! Did you really think I would trust my brother's spy? Who knows when you'd turn me in for some favour! Where I go, I go alone!"

"Shh! You keep on shouting like that and you'll go nowhere!" Matthew hissed. "Every guard in the palace must have heard that!"

"Enough," Hector said in an annoyed tone. "Just don't try and follow me. Understood?"

"I did not imagine that you would find me so unworthy of your trust," Matthew commented. "Oh well, watch yourself, young master." Matthew then stepped into the shadows and disappeared out of the young lordling's sight.

"Wha? He gave up too easily," Hector muttered to himself. "And where did he go? Forget him, the time has come... I need to meet up with Eliwood soon." Hector picked up his bag and was surprised by the weight. "What did Matthew possibly put in this thing?" He set it down again and riffled through its contents for a moment. "This is ridiculous," he exclaimed. "Even if he was packing for two!" Regardless of such, he closed up the bag and hefted it over his back. He started to walk in the direction of the exit, but stopped in his tracks and gripped his axe in both his hands. "Come out," he spoke up. "I know you're there." A man wearing light armor, a head band that covered most of his face and holding a short sword stepped out from the shadows in front of Hector. "Who are you?"

"You who will die need not know my name."

"Is that so? Well let me tell you something. I'm leaving this place and if you try to stop me, then I'll run you through." The masked man went to sink back into the shadows, but before he did so, there was a flash of steel and he lay dead on the ground with his throat slit. Hector almost charged at this newest figure, but held back in time to avoid cutting Matthew to pieces with his axe. "Matthew? I was sure you some other enemy I had to worry about."

"As is happens, I am not. And if at all possible, I do rather enjoy remaining in one piece."

Hector scoffed slightly at this. "It's your own fault for jumping out like that. Why don't you start by telling me what you're doing here?"

The Ostian spy hesitated a little as he spoke. "Well… I sensed that something was wrong and… decided to stick around in the event that I would need to come to your aid."

"Really? I guess I'll accept that answer for now."

"So what shall we do about the fellows between us and the way out?"

"What about them?"

"Well, there are a pair of them left, not including a heavily armoured man. I know you planned to go out quietly, but if we were to engage them, the noise from such would likely alert the castle guards. Although, it would make things easier for us if they helped."

"Never! We're getting out of this castle, even if it means going through those men that want to stop us."

Matthew sighed as if he'd already known what the answer would be. "Very well. Let's just try not to get killed in the process."

"Feel free to turn back, Matthew."

"Sorry milord, but like it or not, I'm with you wherever you may go."

"Then let's get moving!"

The two Ostians started to move towards the exit they planned on leaving through, both on alert for the enemies that would try to stop them. They found them with little effort, as the next three were simply standing out in the open. They all wore the same garb as the previous one and the first held a spear in his hands, the second a broadsword and the third, a pair of daggers. Matthew engaged the latter when he got close enough, leaving his lord to take care of the others. Both men were built about the same and fought in the same general manner, swiping, stabbing, blocking and manipulating their knives with speed. At one point in their fast paced, but short lived fight, Matthew threw a feint that gave him the opportunity to slice the inside of his opponent's elbow which bled profusely. The man was not in pain for long though, as his heart was then perforated by the other dagger.

At the same time, Hector swung his axe in a downward strike at the spearman who jumped out of the way. The blue haired youth followed up by bringing the other end of his axe and smashing it into his chin. Not forgetting the swordsman, he brought his weapon around and caught the incoming sword between the blade and handle, wrenching it out of his hands and severing the man's neck with his axe. He then plunged his weapon into the spearman's chest, ending his life quickly.

Both survivors continued on their way, uninterrupted for the short distance that was left, until they reached the exit. When they did so, they were confronted by a heavily armoured foot knight. He wore a full set of red armor, along with a faceless helm and carried a heavy lance. "Who are you people?" Hector asked. "There's no way you're Marquess Laus' assassins. You're too good for that."

"You were supposed to be alone. No matter, you have no need to know, little lord. You're a fool to be sneaking out like this. You only made our job easier. You'll go missing and nobody will ever find your body."

"One little problem with that, I'm rather angry right now and I could plough through even a dozen of your kind if I need to. Now prepare to die!"

The blue armoured lord charged his enemy, his axe meeting the other's lance. The knight stabbed his weapon at Hector, but surprisingly enough, he twisted his body so that the point went by. He then swung his axe downward, the weapon cleaving through the lance and turned about, finishing him off with a blow that landed just under his helm. His corpse thudded heavily to the ground after.

"Well, glad that's over," Matthew said. "Come milord, we must make haste. The entire castle probably heard all the noise we've made."

"Matthew, you sneaky little spy. You knew this was going to happen, didn't you? No matter, you're coming with me now. But from this point forward, you're no longer my brother's spy. You're my man and no one else's. Understood?"

"Yes, milord! Do you need for me to swear some sort of oath?"

"What for? You've given me your word and that will hold you tight."

"True enough."

"Then let's go. Eliwood awaits us."

* * *

Again in the throne room, Lord Uther was sitting on the throne while someone barged in. This time it was one of the castle guard. "My lord! Marquess! It's Lord Hector! He's-"

"He's gone, isn't he?"

"Yes milord. We are gathering men now to give him chase."

"That will not be necessary. Let him go." Though confused by this, the guard did not question the decision and left. "Hector… you stubborn fool," he said to himself, though in an amused tone. He then coughed loudly into his hand, attracting Oswin's notice.

"Lord Uther, are you well?"

"I'm fine. It's passed now."

"I still find myself concerned. Your duties have not given to much time to look after yourself, milord. You must take care."

"Yes Oswin. I will speak with a physician tomorrow, will that satisfy you?"

"Yes milord. I will make the arrangements."

"Actually, I have something else planned for you. About Hector, I need you to look after him on his journey."

"Of course, my lord. I will guard him with my very life if need be."

"And take that cleric Serra with you as well. Despite her behaviour, she may yet turn out to be useful." The knight saluted with a fist over his heart and left.

* * *

Lyn sighed in despair. She was currently sitting at a dining table in Castle Caelin while a maid attempted to educate her in what she called, the proper way to eat. She was beginning to tire from all the lessons about noble's behaviour. Decided that she had had enough, Lyn simply stood and walked out, despite the maid's protests. Ignoring them, Lyn made her way to the gardens outside. As she looked to the horizon, she took out the lock of Elayna's hair that she had kept since the time they had parted. A smile creased her lips as fond memories of their adventure came to Lyn. She remembered the talks with her friend about her past, which brought to mind how Elayna seemed to have secrets that she withheld from Lyn. Even so, the Sacaean woman cherished their friendship and awaited the moment when she would see her again.

"Is something the matter, Lady Lyndis?"

Lyn turned around and saw the familiar red haired knight standing nearby. "Just thinking. It's been a year now since Elayna left," the Sacaean girl mused.

"Don't worry milady. I'm sure that we shall see her again soon enough."

Both of them remained silent like this for a moment, until Lyn spoke up again. "Care to spar, Kent?"

"Certainly, Lady Lyndis."

"Thank you Kent. But I'd rather you simply called me Lyn."

"As you wish Lad- Lyn."

* * *

Back in the small Pherean village, Elayna was walking by herself, occasionally stopping to show a drawing she'd made of her brother and asking people if they'd seen him. The first few people she questioned simply said that they had seen no trace of him, and she almost decided to stop, given that it was unlikely anyone else would have seen him because of the size of the village. As she was thinking about it, she happened to spot a red haired boy no more than ten years old who was eyeing a pile of bread rolls lying on a baker's windowsill. She walked up to the baker and asked for two rolls, paying him with some of the Lycian coins in her bag. The tactician then went to the boy and offered him one. "Thanks miss," he said politely.

"You're welcome," she replied. Partly out of amusement, Elayna showed they boy the drawing of her brother and asked if he recognized him.

He had a pensive expression on his face before he answered. "Actually, I do."

Elayna was surprised at this. "Really? When did you see him?" she asked, barely able to refrain from bursting out with exitement.

"I think it was about a month ago, or something. I saw a guy just like him, except a bit older. He must have been a mercenary, cause he looked tough and he had a sword. I only saw him a short while, before he left off with a guy dressed in dark robes with a glass on one eye."

"Thank you very much." Elayna then left the boy to himself. Though what he'd told her didn't bring her so much further to finding Mark, simply hearing about him was more than she'd had in a long time. When it got late enough, Elayna returned to the inn and went back to her room after a wolfing down a hot meal. She fell asleep on the bed, her mind going back to the moment when she and her brother had parted.

* * *

Elayna and Mark stood face to face near the gates of a village in north-central Bern. Both twins had dressed and equipped themselves for travel. "Too bad it came down to this," Mark said.

"You know I don't like the idea either. But with Desmond after the Eagles from one end and the guild likely still looking for us specifically, it leaves us with little other choice."

"I know. The Eagles have been a part of our lives since before we were even born. It's a pity that we all had to split like this. And us as well."

The siblings remained quiet for a moment. "So, where will you be heading off to?" Elayna asked.

"I figure I'll probably go to Lycia. Maybe try to find work as a lone mercenary while I'm at it. And you, sister?"

"I'm running off to the plains of Sacae, brother. Maybe I'll see about going onward to Ilia afterwards. I always did want to see more of their Pegasus knights, even with what I could learn from Seraph." Mark nodded in understanding at mention of the Emerald Eagles' Pegasus knight.

Mark then gripped her into a tight hug which she returned, despite him being stronger. "Goodbye Elayna. Be safe."

"Goodbye Mark. We'll see each other some time in the future. I know it." With that said, the twins left the village and each went off their own way.

* * *

I hope you liked it. I know some parts of this chapter were probably confusing, so if you have questions, fell free to ask. I'll try to update soon enough, but there's stuff happening where I'm at and I may yet get distracted. Till then!


	14. Chapter 12: A New Day, A New Adventure

Disclaimer: I have never owned Fire Emblem. It hasn't changed yet, as far as I know.

Note: I'm half lazy when it comes to proof reading, so I just do a word check, then post it, and if I happen to find mistakes when I read it later on, then I'll correct them.

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Chapter 12: A New Day, A New Adventure**

The morning sun shone brightly over Castle Pherae, casting away shadows from its majestic stone walls. The young Lord Eliwood was standing just outside the main gate and was accompanied by an older man wearing the armor of Pherae's knights and holding his armored steed's reins in one hand. Eliwood himself was dressed in blue light armor, had a rapier buckled to his side and was prepared for travel. "Are you ready, Marcus?" he asked the armored knight.

"Yes, Lord Eliwood. We leave on your word."

"I see. Thank you Marcus."

Tough both men were ready, they waited a bit until two women came to see them off. One of them had purple hair, wore fine white robes and had the air of nobility around her, while the other had blue hair and was donned in different color armor than Marcus, though still of the same make. "Eliwood," the noblewoman said. "Are you certain about this?"

"Yes mother," he replied. "It has been too long since father has been missing from the castle. I must find him."

"Very well then. Eliwood… just promise me this, that you will return home safely. I am worried a bout your father, but… should anything happen to you… my heart would not be able to bear such sorrow." She spoke softly to her son in a voice that he could but consent to her request.

"Mother, fear not, father is alive, I know it. I promise you that I will return and bring him back with me. Isadora," he turned to the female knight. "I entrust my mother to you in my absence."

"Yes milord. I will guard her with all I can," she said with her fist over her heart.

"Goodbye, my son. I pray for your success." With that done, the two women returned into the castle.

"Well, Marcus, it looks like it's just you and me now," he said.

"Actually, milord, we will be accompanied by my man Lowen. He's gone ahead into the village to see if he would be able to find a few able bodied men to come along with us," he explained. "I'd prefer that we had a larger company for this adventure, but I will bow to your wished on this matter."

"I'm sorry Marcus, but I would rather not deprive my mother of even a single guard. Our best knights have disappeared with my father. I could not bear it if anything happened to her while I'm gone."

"I understand your decision my lord," Marcus nodded. "Now where's that blasted Lowen? He should be here already," he muttered in annoyance.

"Don't worry Marcus," Eliwood reassured him. "I'm sure Lowen has a good reason holding him back."

* * *

Elayna stretched his limbs as she woke on the soft bed of the inn's room which she occupied. Having slept in bushes, on farmers' haystacks and even simply on the ground, the bed had been rather comfortable in comparison. She hopped out, slung her bag over her shoulder and headed downstairs. She returned the innkeeper's greeting and asked for some breakfast. Sitting down at one of the tables, she reached into her bag and took out a map of Lycia she had acquired during her journey. While waiting for her food, Elayna examined the map, plotting a possible course that she might take. After a bit, the inn's maid, a young brunette girl in her early twenties with a short braid and wearing an apron put food down on the table which consisted of bread and pork stew. "Thanks," the young tactician said.

"So, where are you headed to, miss…" the maid started.

"Elayna. And I'm not quite certain for the moment. I've been looking for my brother for a while and only yesterday received word that he'd come through here a month ago with a dark robed man. Until I have a better idea of where he is, I'll just make the best with what I have and try to figure out where he could have gone."

"That's interesting," the maid commented. "What's your brother like?"

"He's my twin, has short brown hair, blue eyes and last I saw him he was going to work as a mercenary."

"Maybe you should look for him in Laus," she suggested. "I heard a rumor that the marquess is reaching out for mercenaries to boost his forces. I also heard that the marquess was doing so because he's preparing for war," she whispered.

Elayna frowned in thought at this. Knowing her brother like she did, she was certain that he would not have hired himself out to a marquess who was getting ready for war. Aside from that, the information that she'd gotten from the boy yesterday made the dark robed man sound like an employer. "Huh? What's going on?" Elayna said upon hearing commotion outside.

As if to answer her question, the inn's door burst open and two men with axes at their belts barged in. They were dressed in ragged clothing and had 'bandits' written all over their faces. "Well…" one of them spoke up. "Look what we have here."

"A couple of nice looking la-" The bandit talking was interrupted when Elayna grabbed the bowl of still hot stew and flung it directly in his face. Following that, she flung a knife at the other one which embedded itself in his throat. The maid stood shocked at Elayna's actions. As the remaining bandit tried to get the stew off of his face, Elayna took the opportunity to leap away from the table and drew the knife at her side. Only now having his eyes cleared, the bandit was able to see Elayna as she planted her second dagger in his heart, and then he crumpled to the floor like the first.

"How?" the maid asked.

"No time to explain," Elayna said as she retrieved her daggers from the dead men's bodies. "Those two must be part of a larger band attacking the village. Go find anyone else in here and try to hide somewhere safe." As she spoke, Elayna cleaned the blood off her knives, sheathed the one at her belt and made the other disappear up one of her sleeves. "I'll go out to find help, okay?" The young maid nodded at this and Elayna carefully made her way outside.

Utilizing her talents in stealth, Elayna made her way to the inn's stables unseen. But before she entered them, she happened to see the young girl Rebecca being pursued by a lone bandit. Though she had a bow and arrows about her, the bandit was too close for her to turn around and shoot. As soon as she came out into the open, Elayna took a small stone that she held in her pocket and threw it at the alleyway entrance, creating a shroud of smoke that obscured the bandit's vision. When he emerged, the pursuing bandit was greeted with a dagger ending his life by slicing across the jugular, courtesy of Elayna. Rebecca looked around in confusion until she noticed the tactician. "Thank you for saving me."

"You're welcome. We need to leave now and get help." At that moment, a young man with messy greenish hair, yellow armor and riding a sorrel colored horse came down the street in their direction. Elayna refrained from drawing a dagger, given that the man was clearly a knight and with Castle Pherae nearby, he had to have come from there. "You there, Pherean knight!" Elayna called out as he stopped near them. "Where is Lord Eliwood?"

"My lord is waiting beyond yonder hills, near the castle."

"Can you take Rebecca here with you?"

"That I can."

"Good. Rebecca go with him to warn Eliwood of what's happening here. I'll join up with you later."

"But…"

"Don't argue," she said sternly. "Just do it." The knight extended his hand, which Rebecca gripped and helped her get on his horse. They took off at a gallop, heading for the town gates, while Elayna went into the stables. Grace was found in the same spot she had left her the day before. Though she used her mostly as a packhorse, Elayna had ridden her a few times before, so the horse wasn't uneasy when she climbed onto her back after freeing her from the stall. When Elayna reached the town gates, there were two dead militiamen lying dead on the ground and a bandit that seemed to be the leader who was standing a ways away and was surrounded by a couple of underlings. "Hey you! Scumbag!" she shouted at the bandit leader.

He, and the others around him, turned towards her. "Wadda you want, little missy?" he replied.

"Leave these people alone!" she said as she drew the dagger at her belt.

"You think that little needle scares me?" he laughed at her. Even though she was still a fair distance from him, Elayna flung her dagger hard. It sailed past the underlings and struck the leader in the left shoulder. He roared in anger. "You'll pay for striking Grozni! After her, men!" Having achieved her objective of attracting the bandits' attention, thus taking it away from the village and its people, Elayna urged Grace through the village gates and towards where Eliwood was.

The gray horse complied with her rider's wishes and galloped away. She sped around the hills and thickets separating the village from Castle Pherae. Not so long afterwards, she caught sight of Lowen as he let Rebecca descend from his horse to speak with a man who she could but assume was Eliwood himself. She picked up on a few of her words as Grace drew near. "My lord, there is another person who is coming to help," the green haired girl spoke up. "Her name is Elayna and she's a travelling tactician who was staying at the inn."

Just then, Eliwood noticed Elayna coming up on her horse. "Elayna?" he said with a touch of surprise at seeing her.

"You know this person milord?" Lowen asked.

"Yes," he replied. "I met her during the trouble in Caelin last year. An amazing military advisor, if memory serves. If it hadn't been for Elayna, the marquess of Caelin and his granddaughter Lyndis might not have survived Lundgren's uprising. So what brings you to Pherae, my friend?" he greeted her as she stopped next to them.

"I don't mean to be rude, but we'll have to wait for further introductions."

"Of course. Let's give thanks Elimine for seeing us all here. We have need of your skills, will you help us?"

"Yes I will."

"Excellent. You have the command," he said as he drew his rapier.

"First, what are your names?" she asked the knights.

"Lowen."

"Marcus."

"Good. I pulled some of the bandits away from the village and they'll be coming after me soon enough." She took note of the sun shining brightly and from what angle. "Lowen, Marcus, ride at the head on each wing. Eliwood, keep to the center. Rebecca, hold back to offer support." They all got in their arranged formation and started their march towards the village, Elayna walking next to Rebecca while keeping a sharp eye open.

Their troop's first encounter with the bandits came just after they came to the edge of the hills. The sun shone brightly on Lowen and Marcus' armor, throwing the half-dozen bandits off, thus rendering the group's task easier. The first dropped dead when one of Rebecca's arrows lodged itself between his eyes. The rest were broken upon the line formed by the two knights and Eliwood. Both knights cut down their opponents with ease, while Eliwood simply side stepped the swing from the bandit coming at him, ending his life with a quick jab into the heart with his rapier.

As soon as they had finished this particular group, they continued onward to the village. Their passage was uninterrupted until they reached the village gates. They found three bandits standing guard outside. Yet as the group approached them, Elayna's eyes caught sight of two axe wielders coming from their opposite direction, one of whom she recognized in a flash. The unknown one hurled a hand axe at one of the bandits, which sunk into his chest, then charged in with his friend, overpowering the other two in little time.

"Hold!" Elayna ordered Lowen and Marcus.

"You know these men?" Marcus asked.

"One of them. It's been a while, hasn't it, Dorcas?"

"That it has, Elayna. Good to see you again. This is my friend Bartre," he pointed to the other axe wielder. "Do you need any help?"

"The more the merrier," she replied. "Are you alright with this, Lord Eliwood?"

"I remember Dorcas from the campaign against Lundgren and you trust him. So I see no problem with him and his friend helping us."

"Good. Come on, we've a village to save." The group moved inside the village, though Elayna came in without Grace. After hearing Elayna's plan, the knights formed the front, Eliwood took the center with Dorcas and Bartre bringing up the rear. To the others' befuddlement, the two women went elsewhere, though they didn't question her plan. The rest of them marched in their formation to the town square, where, as Elayna had guessed, was the bandit leader.

Eights of the underlings dropped some loot that they were carrying at his feet, while another pair stood ready at his sides. "Huh? What's all this then?" he said when he saw Eliwood and the others approaching. "A pack of children come to-" he stopped mid sentence when he noticed the make of Marcus and Lowen's armor. "What? Pherean knights? How?" Regardless of his surprise, he ordered the lesser bandits between himself and them.

It was at this moment that Elayna's reasoning was revealed. Grozni suddenly found himself with an arrow lodged in the side of his neck and gurgled before dropping to the ground. The tactician had taken Rebecca to the rooftops and led her to a place where she had a clear shot at the leader. The other bandits stood shocked at what had just happened. Eliwood, the knights, Dorcas and Bartre took advantage of this and charged into them, Rebecca managing to take down another before they got too close. Despite the facts that the bandits were almost twice as numerous, the absence of their leader allowed the red haired lord and his allies to defeat them easily. When the battle was over and their enemies all lay dead on the ground, Elayna and Rebecca came down from the rooftops.

"Well done, Lady Elayna," Marcus said with respect. "You have an excellent grasp of tactics."

"Thank you, Sir Marcus. But please feel free to simply call me Elayna." At that moment, an older balding man with some brown hair still on his head and dressed in commoner's clothing approached the Pherean noble. "Eliwood, I'll go get my horse back at the village entrance. If you need me afterwards, I'll be waiting at the inn." The lord nodded at this and Elayna first retrieved her missing dagger from Grozni and left Eliwood as the older man spoke with him.

* * *

Somewhere in closing in on the outskirts of Ostia, Lord Hector and his companion Matthew were sitting on fallen logs next to a small fire and eating some of their rations. "I don't see why we needed to take a break now, Matthew," Hector said.

"Yes, well, milord, as surprising as it may seem to one such as yourself, travelling does tend to wear out people in the long run," the brunette man spoke with a touch of humor and sarcasm in his voice. "And as another possible surprise, not everyone is as tough and hardy as you, if I may say so."

"Yeah, yeah. You're probably just looking for an excuse to sit down and not walk. And besides, I'm the one carrying all the stuff. Which I suspect some of it you put in for yourself." Matthew offered him a sheepish grin at this.

They remained like this for sometime, until they heard a bushed rustling and a clanking noise. Both men leapt to their feet and held their weapons at the ready. "I'm tired of all this walking," someone complained loudly from the same direction that the other noises came from. "Can't we just sit down for a while? My poor little feet are aching from all the distance we've covered."

Both men looked at each other. Matthew had an expression on his face akin to horror. "Please tell me I didn't just hear who I think I did."

As if fate itself had heard his words and wanted to torment him, two figures came into their line of sight. One being Oswin, sporting his plate armor and carrying a heavy spear on his back. To confirm Matthew's suspicions, the second person was none other than a particular cleric named Serra. "At last, we've caught up with you two," Oswin spoke up.

"What're you doing in these parts, Oswin?" Hector asked, having put away his axe.

"Well, after you little escape out of the castle," he said in a mildly disapproving tone. "Lord Uther sent me to look after you and help you on this journey."

"Couldn't you have picked someone else to come with you?" Matthew said in regard to Serra.

"Whatever are you talking about, Matthew?" the cleric said. "Lord Uther obviously holds me in such high regards that he felt I should take part in this task. Even though he could have given a little more thought to the conditions I'm currently suffering from." The Ostian knights gave her an incredulous look, which she conveniently missed. "And besides, now you get to be close to me again."

"That's what I was afraid of," he muttered under his breath.

Oswin cleared his throat, attracting their attention again. "Lord Hector, you brother sent me because he cares for you. You are the only family he has left and doesn't want to lose you."

"Alright then," Hector said. "You can come with. And I suppose since he had you bring Serra that we'll be obliged to tolerate her."

"Hey! That was a mean thing you said!" Serra cried out.

"Whatever. Let's move out!"

* * *

Having found Grace at the same spot she'd left the gray horse, Elayna lead her back to the stables where she'd been previously. Then she went back to the inn and found the maid in the main room. "Are you ok?" the tactician asked.

"I am well. Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome." Elayna rolled up her map which had remained on the table since her departure and stowed it away in her bag. She was hardly there for long when Eliwood came in, followed by all the others. "Why don't you all have a seat?" she said.

The Pherean lord sat down with Marcus at the table across from Elayna, while the others took seats elsewhere, Bartre asking the maid for a mug of ale. "First of all, I would like to thank you for helping us, Elayna."

"It was my pleasure," she responded.

"So, what brings you to Pherae?" Marcus asked.

"I've simply been wandering about Lycia for the past year, further studying tactics and I happened to pass through the area at this time."

"And where might you be headed for next?"

"I hadn't really decided until now," she told Eliwood. "But I suppose since you were going to ask me to help in the search for your father..."

Eliwood laughed a little in amusement. "You truly are ever perceptive, aren't you? Indeed, we are going to search for my father."

"I assume Bartre, Dorcas and Rebecca are going to come along as well?"

"Correct. Will you be joining us in this quest? We would certainly be stronger with you in our company."

"Certainly, my lord."

"Splendid! I hope that we give you no cause to regret your decision."

* * *

After finishing up with the details of Elayna's contract and Rebecca bidding farewell to her father, the group found itself on the move away from the village. 'And now I find myself in the midst of a new adventure,' Elayna thought to herself as she lead Grace by the reins. 'I wonder what might happen. Perhaps I'll even have the chance to meet up with Mark again. Only time will tell.'

* * *

Usual stuff: Hope you liked it, please review, bla la bla, something, something, whatever else I'd normally say. I'll read any suggestions or requests you might have. Later!


	15. Chapter 13: Friends and Aquaintances

Disclaimer: I do not own what's already a part of Fire Emblem.

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Chapter 13: Friends and Acquaintances**

Elayna had now been travelling with Eliwood and his group for just over a day. She walked aside Grace, leading the gray packhorse who carried some of her belongings on her back and in the saddlebags. During the time that she'd spent with the company so far, the young tactician had gotten to familiarize herself with its members, as well as to reacquaint herself with Dorcas. The burly Bernese axe fighter had told her about how he'd moved to Pherae with his wife Natalie and taken to work as a mercenary, fighting bandits. He'd also presented his friend, Bartre. And although his vocabulary was not the most developed, something which had been made rather evident when he'd complained that Elayna was using words too complicated, she'd still found him to be a good person.

It was getting close enough to noontime as the group was arriving at the border with Santaruz. They were in a generally mountainous area, with a relatively small village not too far from them and sparse forest about. "So, this is Santaruz," Elayna said out loud.

"That it is," Eliwood spoke up beside her. "The castle is not too far off, maybe an hour or so away. My father is supposed to have passed through here after having left Pherae. Although, with the Marquess Darin preparing for war, that would make Laus a good place for us to go looking for clues as to his whereabouts. What might your opinion on the matter be, Elayna?"

The young tactician had a pensive expression on her face as she gave her reply. "Well… I've also heard about Marquess Laus and the fact that he's preparing for war. Even though Laus might be a good place to go searching for your father, from what I've pieced together about Darin's behavior, it may be the best idea to go there first."

"What makes you say that?" Marcus asked, curious.

"For one, if Marquess Laus does have something to do with Lord Elbert disappearing, it's probable that he'll try denying any implication should we go up to him asking questions about the matter. And given the military activity in the area, he may react violently and attack our group."

"But have you not emerged victorious more than once against enemies superior in numbers?"

"That may be," Elayna replied. "But personally, I prefer not to place myself or my friends in that kind of situation if at all possible."

"So we should meet up with Marquess Santaruz and ask him to help us. Is this where you're getting at?" Eliwood inquired.

"Exactly," she nodded in return. "You know the marquess well enough, right?"

"Indeed I do. He and my father have been friends for many years. I've known him since I was a child. I'm certain that he'll be willing to help us."

"Good. Perhaps we can send a message to request a meeting with him."

"I believe there should be a courier located in the village not far from here," Marcus said. "We could write a letter with our request and have them deliver it to the castle. Given the castle's proximity, it won't take too long for it to arrive. We'd just have to wait out here until the answer comes back."

"Excellent," Eliwood said. "I'll write the letter. Marcus, would you mind bringing it to the village when it's done?"

"Certainly, my lord."

"Actually," Elayna stepped in. "Would you mind if I brought it? I'd like to see if I can find a few useful maps while I'm there."

"Of course you can." They all started to make camp as Eliwood took out a sheet of paper and scribbled on it. When he was finished, he folded it up, dribbled a bit of wax on the letter and imprinted it with Pherae's seal. He then gave it to Elayna, who, having taken off Grace's burden, rode on her back to the village. Upon arriving at the entrance, she dismounted and led her horse by the reins. She found the building that housed the courier in very little time and left Grace attached outside while she went about her business.

The interior was well lit from the sun that shone through the front window. A completely bald man wearing a beige shirt and light brown vest was sitting behind a counter while reading a broadsheet. "Excuse me?" The man set down the paper and looked at when he heard Elayna speak up. "I need to have this delivered to Castle Santaruz as soon as possible. It's a message from Lord Eliwood to Lord Helman."

"Yes, just one moment please." The man looked at a different sheet of paper, then told Elayna the price it would cost. She placed the required amount of coins on the counter. After counting them out, he called over a man, to whom he gave the letter with instructions as to its destination. "It should take no more than an hour, perhaps less. Will that be all, miss?"

"Lord Eliwood and his friends are camped not far south of here. We'll be waiting there for Lord Helman's reply. And while I'm thinking about it, would you happen to know where I might be able to find a map of the surrounding area, or around Castle Santaruz?"

"As to a map of around the castle, I don't think I can help you. But I do happen to have my own for around here." He showed her the map in question, at which the two of them bargained for a brief moment, before settling on a price. Elayna placed it on her bag, nodded to the man and then let herself out. She untied Grace and led out back out of the village, through the gates, and rode her back to the camp. When she got there, most of the group was either sitting on the ground, trees stumps, or whatever improvised seat they had at hand. Eliwood had a wooden sword in his hands and was practicing movements under Marcus' evaluating eye. He stopped when he took notice of Elayna coming towards him.

"So, how did it go?" Eliwood asked.

She leapt off of the gray packhorse and landed on the ground gracefully. "Well enough. The letter will arrive at the castle in less than an hour and there's the time it takes for Lord Helman to send his reply. Apart from that, I didn't get a map of the Castle, but I have one from around here."

"Very good. Out of curiosity, how do you go about to defend yourself when you're alone?"

"With this," Elayna replied, indicating the dagger sheathed on her left.

"Have you ever considered learning how to wield a sword?"

She scoffed into her hand. "No, never did. My abilities truly lie in the domain of tactics. Carrying a sword would have attackers be somewhat cautious, and I am better with knives. Besides, with but a dagger, most people will only see a nearly defenseless woman, which allows for them to be caught off guard more easily."

"Interesting," he commented. "I hadn't thought about it like that."

Elayna shrugged her shoulders. "Everyone has their own style that suits them best." She then made her way to a flattened tree stump and sat down on it. After giving Grace an apple to eat, she took the newest map from her bag to examine the terrain. She observed it meticulously, scribbling notes where she saw fit, and occasionally looked into her journal. Though Elayna seemed absorbed in her activities, she still caught the sound of Dorcas' footsteps coming in her direction.

"Seems just like old times, hey Elayna?" he spoke up when he noticed she'd seen him.

"Indeed it does," she replied. "Though some of the people may be different, our little group is pretty similar to the Legion in its beginning stages. Last year we were on a quest to save a noble and now we're trying to find one."

Dorcas smiled at this. "Oh well, with you guiding us all, we're sure to emerge victorious."

Elayna smiled back at him. "Thanks. It's good to be working with you again." Dorcas went back to join his friend while Elayna continued studying the map.

* * *

At this time, Hector, Matthew, Oswin and Serra were marching with the intention of meeting up with Eliwood. Miraculously enough, the pink haired cleric was refraining from excessive complaints. Although, this didn't mean that she was perfectly content, but the three men were able to ignore her with relative ease. "Lord Hector," the brunette thief, or spy, spoke up. "If we continued like this, we should reach Eliwood in Santaruz before long."

"Uh huh," the blue haired lord replied. "We've read his movements fairly well. We'll just have to continue moving south and cross the border when we get to it."

"It will be good to see Lord Eliwood again," Oswin pitched in.

"I hope we have the chance to rest when we arrive," Serra said. Hector simply rolled his eyes and they all continued on their way.

* * *

Elayna and the others had now been waiting just over two hours for Lord Helman's reply. Eliwood was beginning to grow the slightest bit agitated. "Strange," he muttered. "I didn't think that it would take Lord Helman this long to reply. Wonder what's going on." They continued waiting like this for some time, until the point when it became too much.

"Milord," Marcus said. "Perhaps something is the matter with Lord Helman and we should go see for ourselves."

Eliwood nodded in agreement at this. Everyone packed up their things and they all started to march again. But they didn't make it too far before Elayna spotted a group of less than half a dozen men coming towards them from the opposite direction and signaled for the group to stop. The one in the lead was pudgy, though with a layer of muscle and wore rough brown clothing. Everyone had a hand on their weapons as they saw the axe at his belt and the smirk on his face. Marcus placed himself defensively in front of Eliwood. "What is your business here?" he demanded.

"Noble sirs, alms for a poor villager?" he asked, his tone not even coming close to reassuring them.

"Poor villager?" Marcus said incredulously. "You look nothing like an honest man. Now clear the road and step quickly or-"

"Step quickly?" he interrupted. "Good advice, maybe it's you who should follow it."

"Explain yourself!"

Elayna scanned the terrain around them and frowned.

"Someone wants the boy in an early grave. A shame if you ask me," he spoke in a tone of false sympathy. "It's too bad, but he's going to die here today." He stepped back away from them. "Come on out boys, time to earn your keep!"

The pudgy man retreated further back as a bunch of other men emerged from their places. Marcus cursed upon seeing this. "Damn!"

"Any ideas Elayna?" Eliwood asked.

"Yeah. Everyone pull back and go north! There's a guard post close by." The group was quick to follow her orders. Although they were faced with a small gang of bandits blocking their way, at their tactician's commands, they went into a tight knit formation and smashed through them in little to no time at all. When they reached mundane square built structure that was the guard post, they found it to be empty.

"No guards," Marcus said in realization.

"We can still hold them off here," Elayna said. "Rebecca come inside, you can shoot and be covered." The young archer did as told and positioned herself on the ramparts at the second level with the tactician. When the bandits reached the guard post, she aimed her arrows with deadly accuracy, firing into the thick of their ranks.

"There's only a handful of them, charge in!" the bandit leader shouted.

A first wave of bandits met the unbending line formed by Eliwood, Marcus, Bartre, Dorcas and Lowen. Fortunately for the red haired lord and his friends, the way they were positioned, as well as how the guard post was built, permitted only for a limited number of bandits to attack them at the same time. As Elayna was watching them being beaten back, she became aware of a particular scent from the inside. When she looked back, she saw a sealed bucket, which just so happened to give off the smell of oil. Thinking rapidly, Elayna rushed back inside and grabbed it. "What're you doing?" Rebecca asked.

"Give me an arrow," Elayna said as she pulled the top off the bucket, revealing yellowy colored oil. Rebecca passed her an arrow from her quiver, despite being confused. Careful to avoid getting any oil on her hands, Elayna dipped in the arrowhead, pulled it out and jammed the top on tightly. She then passed it back to its owner and told her to nock, but not too fire. Following that, she took a piece of flint and metal from her bag and struck them to create sparks which lit the tip of Rebecca's arrow on fire. Moving hastily, she dropped them back in, picked up the bucket, and hurled it with all her strength at the midst of the incoming brigands. Given its easily manageable weight, it sailed far enough and landed on one of the bandits' heads, cracking open in a shower of splinters and disgorging its substance on the ground. At Elayna's signal, Rebecca pulled back and released the flaming arrow which hit the ground where the bucket had spread the oil. A fiery circle of death sprung up immediately, catching the closest bandits in its deadly embrace.

The few unlucky who'd been splashed by the oil, or had been standing in the area it had reached screamed as they were lit ablaze. They abandoned all thoughts of fighting and dropped their weapons, running away while attempting to put out the fire that tore at them. Seeing their opponents in shock at what was happening, Eliwood and the four others struck them hard. Rebecca took advantage of this also and picked them off one by one.

"What're you waiting for you cursed idiots!" the bandit leader shouted angrily. "I'll show you boys how it's done!" Elayna tapped the green haired archer on the shoulder and pointed to him. "I'll show you-" he started to say, but was interrupted when an arrow pierced his chest and lodged itself firmly in his heart. "Urrg… This was… harder… than… it seemed," were the only words he managed to utter, and then he fell flat on the ground.

* * *

"Lord Hector!" The youth in question saw a certain brunette man running towards him.

"What is it Matthew?"

"Up ahead! There's fighting!"

"Where, and who?"

"Bandits are attacking an abandoned guard post. It must be Eliwood they're after!"

"No time to lose then! Let's go!" Hector, Matthew and Oswin quickly made their way towards their intended destination, but were forced to stop when they saw an armed guard at his post, watching the bandits but not reacting in any way. "Hey you, soldier!" The man wearing armor in the style of the Santaruz army turned to face him. "There's some rough business going on over there. Are you just going to stand and watch?"

"Who do you think you are?" he shot back.

"Hector of Ostia."

"This is Santaruz. What happens here is not for any foreign lordling to concern himself."

Hector took a step closer to him. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree with you on that issue. You see, the man those bandits are attacking happens to be a friend of mine."

"A friend? What?"

The blue haired lordling wasted no more time and swung his axe around, severing the guard's head, which fell to the ground, followed afterwards by the body. "Sorry, but I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"Ewwww!" Serra said. "That's disgusting! I loathe violence!"

"Nicely done my lord!" Matthew complimented. "You're a fighter born."

"I cannot condone resorting to force so quickly," Oswin spoke up.

"Chastise me some other time, Oswin. First we have to deal with these brigands! Come! We have to help Eliwood!"

"Help Eliwood? Sounds like a convenient excuse for more violence."

"Oswin!"

"Yes, yes. Let's go then!"

"Matthew! Take Serra and find somewhere to hide until we're done." The color almost seemed to drain from Matthew's face at this. "Don't argue! You'll just slow us down!" The two armored men went off in the direction of the fighting, leaving their two allies behind them. They ran into a pack of four bandits before the main bunch. Having been caught by surprise, they were overcome by their sheer might, two stabbed by Oswin's lance and the others crushed by Hector's wild axe swings. To their surprise, they saw a bandit in flames running towards them, though Oswin put him out of his misery.

"This is rather strange," the knight noted as they went on.

"It's not Eliwood, so it's not a problem," Hector said. When they arrived to the area surrounding the guard post, they saw Eliwood, Marcus, Lowen and two axe wielders turning the tide and routing the attacking bandits. Along with that, they noticed the circle of fire from which their enemies were fleeing, as well as the archer posted on the higher level with the other woman. They joined in against the bandits and with their help, the few outnumbered survivors were sent running away as fast as they could. "Well, that seems to be the last of them."

"Hector!" Eliwood called out. "Where did you come from?"

"Well met, Eliwood."

"Yes that, but… what are you doing here?"

"You wound me!"

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused by his words.

"You're looking for your father, right?" He nodded at this. "Well why didn't you send me word that you were doing so?"

"Your brother was just named Marquess Ostia. He's going to be busy setting up his court council and all that. Lord Uther will need your support, will he not? After all, you are his brother. Shouldn't you be helping him?"

Hector scoffed in response. "I think I'd cause more concern if I were sitting in Ostia doing nothing. And besides, my brother isn't quite so weak. He may have said some things in public, but he knew exactly what he was doing and he let me go."

"Is that so? Well it would be unwise to refuse his kindness. It's good to see you again, Hector. Thank you for coming."

"Think nothing of it. You know Oswin, right?" he asked, presenting the knight aside him.

"Well met, Lord Eliwood," he greeted.

"Good to see you again, Oswin. I see you came along as well."

"Lord Uther was worried about his brother travelling alone. So I've been ordered to keep a close watch on him."

Eliwood laughed a little at Hector's expense. "Ha ha ha! Of course."

"Lord Hector! Why didn't you tell me the fighting was over!" Serra cried out as she made her way towards them.

"Sorry my lord," Matthew added. "I couldn't hold her back any longer."

"Are they your companions, Hector?"

The blue haired lord turned around and stood beside Eliwood as he looked at his companions. "Oh… I suppose they are. One might have hoped for better, but I had to make do with what I had."

"That was uncalled for!" Serra said loudly. "I can't believe you said that! Matthew, did you hear the mean thing he just said about you?"

"Me? He was talking about you!"

"Why don't you introduce us, Hector?"

"Yeah, sure. The noisy one here is Serra," he began. "As hard as it might be to believe, she's a cleric."

"Yes, I am Serra. Pleased to meet you Lord Eliwood."

"Likewise."

"And this one here is Matthew. He does a lot of… sneaking around."

"My lord," he nodded to Eliwood.

"… Sneaking around?"

"Well… I, err… gather information, open locked doors and chests… that sort of thing. I've got… nimble fingers."

"… That sounds… like a thief's work," he said uncertainly.

"I'd think more of a spy's job, if you ask me," Elayna spoke up from behind the two lords.

"And just who might you be?" Hector asked.

"This is Elayna," Eliwood explained. "You should remember her. She's the tactician who helped Lyndis save her grandfather, Hausen. We met back in Pherae, where she joined our group in the search for my father."

"I think I remember a bit," he admitted. "So, you're the one who directed the flow of the battle here, hm?" She simply nodded. "You know, Elayna, you're rather young. We have many strategists in Ostia, but none of them are anywhere near your age."

"Well, age is not always the critical factor that determines one's talents," she replied coolly.

"Though she may be young, Elayna has given us nothing but sound advice," Eliwood pitched in. "She has my trust."

"All right then. I guess I'll have the chance to see more of how good you are at this. Well met, Elayna."

"Well met, Lord Hector. I'll be sure to not let you down."

"I'm sure you won't."

"Elayna! It's been way too long!" Serra cried out excitedly as she grasped the tactician in a firm hug.

"Yes… too long," she replied.

"You missed me, didn't you?"

"... Of course, who wouldn't?" A touch of sarcasm seeped out in Elayna's voice, though it was lost on Serra.

"I knew it!" She then let go of Elayna, to the tactician's relief. "I guess I forgot to tell you before. I'm in the employ of Ostia. Lycia's ruling territory. I'll be here to help you just like last time! Aren't you the lucky one!"

"That's okay. I figured it out already." The cleric smiled brightly then deemed that she should introduce herself to the other members of Eliwood's group.

"Well hello there," Matthew said to her. "Long time no see. How've you been Elayna?"

"I'm fine, thanks. Have you been an Ostian spy for long?"

"Yeah, you got me on that one. My being a common thief was nothing more than a clever ruse. I've been serving Ostia as a spy for some time now."

"You don't appear to have changed much, behavior and otherwise."

"Well, it looks like we'll be travelling together once again. Here's to our mutual survival." He extended his hand which she grasped firmly, at the same time that she held his other hand with her own over the handshake. He grinned sheepishly and let her rejoin the conversation with the two lords.

"What kind of rumors?" Eliwood asked his friend.

"Nothing really specific. But there's one going about a league of assassins from Bern moving around in Lycia." Elayna frowned at this. "When I was sneaking out the castle, there was a gang of men who tried to stop me. They had to be professionals."

"They were probably Black Fang," Elayna filled in.

Hector had a curious expression on his face. "You know about these people?"

"Only a little. I was born in Bern and spent the greater part of my life there. But I don't really know more than what most of the common people could tell you. And also, you were there when Lyndis' Legion ran into them last year."

"That reminds me," Eliwood spoke up. "One of the men who attacked us said something odd."

"Like what?"

"Lord Eliwood, mind if I explain?"

"Marcus! Good to see you again."

"Lord Hector, it's been too long. Your assistance is greatly appreciated."

"Oh, come now, Marcus. There's no need for such formalities. Just tell me what you heard."

"Of course. The leader of that gang of thugs made mention that someone was watching Lord Eliwood, that someone wanted him dead."

"Hmm… that's troubling. As it happens, a captain of the guard was watching the whole fight when we arrived. He was a knight of Santaruz, but he just stood there and let a lord be attacked. I think he intended on seeing you die."

"Lord Eliwood, if I may?"

"What's your opinion on the matter, Elayna?"

"That guard could have simply been paid off by the bandits to not involve himself… but from the sound of it, he was involved deeper than just that. If the Black Fang is moving about, it's quite possible that they've made contact with Lord Helman. They may be controlling him somehow, or he could be working with them willingly. Either way, it's without doubt that something's happened to him."

"You're right! Something must have happened to him. We must hurry towards the castle. Let's go everyone!"

* * *

I hope you liked it and if you don't mind reviewing, reviews are appreciated. Sorry, but I no longer accept anonymous reviews (someone was leaving nothing but flames on one of my other fics and just being a jerk). And for the burning oil tactic, I just wanted something... unconventional, or unexpected that would characterize Elayna's strategizing. Anyway, till next time!


	16. Chapter 14: A New Ally, and a New Foe

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem

Finally! Guy makes his appearance and is introduced to Elayna (even if the introduction is a wee bit short).

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Chapter 14: A New Ally, and a New Foe**

After having fought off the bandits paid to dispose of Eliwood, and the meeting with Hector and his companions, Elayna and everyone else found themselves on the move again. The day had gone by long enough so that it was well past noontime and getting towards evening, but it had not begun to get dark. Intent on seeing Lord Helman, yet still taking into consideration the effects of the last battle, the group was marching towards Castle Santaruz at a good pace.

In the castle itself, Lord Helman was in his bedchambers, slowly pacing back and forth, casting glances at the only other individual in the room with him. Marquess Santaruz was an elderly man, a fact that was given away by his gray hair, the way he walked, as well as his aged face which showed wrinkles. On the other hand, he was dressed in fine, light brown colored clothes and had a cape of a darker shade that fell over his back. The other one in the room with him was quite different from the aging lord. He kept most of himself concealed by a dark purple cloak with the hood pulled over his head. Regardless of such, there was still a strand of pitch black hair which dropped down in front of a pale face. And above all else, he had a pair of almost glowing golden eyes.

Finally, the ruler of Santaruz stopped pacing and faced the strange man, though he shuddered the slightest bit when he looked into his eyes. "Master Ephidel, what was the meaning of all this?"

"Peace, Lord Helman," the person answered in a voice both calm and collected. "Tell me, whatever might be wrong?"

"You know very well what is wrong!" he responded, a touch of anger seeping into his voice. "You told me that you were only going to frighten Eliwood away! Your men almost killed him! My patience is getting to an end!" He took a deep breath and spoke again in a more controlled manner. "I've decided that I have to tell Eliwood everything and apologize for what I have done."

The obscure man remained silent for a moment. "You would betray us?"

"Yes. I am tired of you and the Black Fang! Now, you will remove yourself and anyone associated with you from my castle. Your presence is no longer wanted here."

"Lord Helman… Is there truly nothing I can do to change your mind?" Ephidel asked, his tone giving off a sense of danger, though Helman did not take notice of it.

"No, nothing! Now begone!"

"In that case… I'm afraid that you are no longer of any use to us."

"Wha-?" The Marquess was cut off when Ephidel planted a dagger in his stomach. He then pulled it back out, causing the old lord to drop onto the carpet in front of his bed, blood seeping from the wound as he futilely attempted to contain is with his hands. His aggressor, merely looked down at him, then wiped off the dagger and snapped his fingers, fading away before disappearing entirely.

* * *

Eliwood and his friends had arrived within reasonable distance of Castle Santaruz. The group had stopped on the edge of the forest and they were all lounging about for the moment. Elayna, Eliwood and Hector were currently in conversation. "We finally made it," the blue haired lord noted. "We should be able to see the castle before long."

"Yes," Eliwood said. "We need to speak with Lord Helman and get to the bottom of this situation. He would not lie to me, that much I'm sure of."

"That may be, but before we go ahead with knocking on the castle doors, I'm of the opinion that we should prepare first," Elayna spoke up. "It would do us well to not be caught off guard by any… nasty surprises that might be waiting in store for us."

"What do you suggest, Elayna?" Eliwood asked.

"Matthew," she called out. The brunette man walked over to the three of them and bowed.

"Yes, my lords, Lady Elayna. How may I be of service to you?" he spoke with a grin on his face.

"Do you really have to call me Lady?" the tactician asked.

"Well, it would be improper of me to do otherwise," he responded. "After all, you were knighted by Lord Hausen himself a few days after having freed Caelin."

Elayna rolled her eyes at this. "Whatever. Matthew, you can go up ahead to see what kind of information you can sniff out. There should be a village not too far from here." She looked to Eliwood who nodded in confirmation. "So, try to find out what you can from there about the Marquess and his latest… affiliations. And if you happen to unearth some other morsel of information that might be of interest, then that's good too. But try not to take too long, if possible."

"Very well then. I shall be on my way." Matthew saluted them and walked off down the beaten path towards the village.

"So… now we just wait for him to come back?" Hector asked.

"Just about," Elayna answered. "I'll see about getting a better view of the surroundings. Just keep your eyes opened in case anything happens." She then made her way towards one of the taller trees nearby. Its bark was grayish white, it reached a good height, and there were branches close enough to the bottom and all over it so as to make climbing it easy enough.

"Umm, are you sure about this?"

"Of course I am. Just watch, I'll be fine. However, don't get too close. Because if you look up my robes, then I'll jump off and make sure to land feet first on your face." Hector remained silent at this. Elayna jumped up a little and caught the lowest branch with ease. She then hoisted herself onto it, and continued climbing steadily. Before long, she stopped not too far from the top and was more or less fifteen feet off the ground.

"Well done, Elayna," Eliwood congratulated her.

"Thank you." The young tactician stood on one of the branches with her left arm wrapped around the tree's trunk. She held her other hand over her eyes to shade them from the sun as she looked at the land before them. From her current position, she could see the moderately sized village which Matthew would be going to, if he was not already there.

Elayna scanned the terrain, memorizing its aspects so as to be somewhat prepared in the event that they would have to fight their way through it. She took note of the river that came from the mountains, splitting so as to surround the land on which the castle was situated. Two wooden bridges crossed the river at both ends after it split, but there was still the part before that which limited access. She continued her observation until the point where a slight clanking noise reached her ears, as well as the others'. It turned out to be a balding man who's remaining green hair was only his beard. He wore dark gray heavy plate armor, similar to that which Oswin wore, had a faceless helm on his head, and held a lance in one hand.

"What do you want?" Hector demanded, him and everyone else with their weapons at the ready.

"You must be the band that's looking to reach Marquess Santaruz," he spoke with a sneer on his face which was reflected in the tone of his voice.

"What's it to you?"

"I'm afraid that's not gonna happen laddie."

"Who are you?" Eliwood asked.

"Who am I? Boy, you'd do better to worry about yourself. You'll be nothing more than worm's meat before long."

"You think so?" Hector said with a dangerous tone. "I think my axe will change your mind."

The man took a step back at this. "Ha! The little cub thinks he's a wolf! Does your bite match your bark? Tell you what, you lot make it to the castle, and just maybe you'll find out. So long, la-" He was interrupted when the tip of a white birch tree slammed onto the top of his head, thus knocking him over and unconscious. Seeing a clear path presented to her, Elayna had climbed to the very top of the tree and leaned back, causing it to bend over on itself. She'd then released it and dropped the short distance left to the ground, at which the tree had sprung the other way and hit the armored knight.

The others were understandably surprised by this. "Whoa!" Hector exclaimed. "That was unexpected."

"Be that as it may, I believe we have bigger problems on our hands. Let's just tie him up for now." Matthew chose to appear next to them as Oswin, Bartre and Dorcas were removing the man's armor and weapon and tying him to tree trunk with a length of rope from Hector's pack.

"Gah!" Hector cried out in surprise. "Matthew!"

"Forgive me, lord."

"Just tell us what you have to say and be quick about it."

"Yes, of course. The marquess is not in control of the situation, but I don't know what's happened to him. There are soldiers from the castle to the barracks south of here, and I think there's a small band at the north end. Also…" He produced a disk like metal object, to which there was a note attached that said: '_Mine prototype. Will go off if exposed to fire or struck with too much force. Exercise extreme caution._'

"Matthew… where did you get this?" Elayna asked.

"There was this merchant guy who was in a bit of a hurry and left this behind. I just picked it up off the ground. Thought we might be able to use it later."

"Good. Dorcas, Bartre, Rebecca, the three of you will cross the river at the north end before it splits, then go across the bridge towards the castle. There are some dead trees you can cut down to get over the first crossing and there's a bridge at the second."

"Are you sure this is wise, Elayna?" Rebecca asked.

"The three of you are the best suited for this. You can pass off as a pair of woodcutters and a hunter and take the soldiers by surprise." The green haired archer nodded at this. "Everyone else, we're taking the longer route to the castle." Rebecca, Dorcas and Bartre went off towards where Elayna had told them and the others made their way to the area which Matthew had come through.

"Oh, Elayna…" the Ostian spy spoke up as they walked. "There's one more thing I wanted to tell you."

"Yes, what is it?"

"When we get around to the bridge, we'll run into a Sacaean swordsman. I'd like to be the one to confront him." Elayna raised a questioning eyebrow at this. "I don't mean to actually fight him myself, but I do have a trick up my sleeve. And I can assure you, once I pull it off, he's guaranteed to fight on our side."

"If you're so confident, then fine."

* * *

Elsewhere on the soon to be battlefield, a mousy looking man with rugged clothing and an axe at his belt, was talking to a Sacaean youth. His dark brown hair was tied together in a braid that fell to just below his shoulder blades, he wore a blue bandana on his forehead, a shirt and pants of the same color and a pair of brown leather boots. Apart from all that, he had a sharp curved sword sheathed at his side. "You, new dog!" the scruffy man said. "We've got a bunch of enemies that're coming at us soon. Get this right or you're a gonner!"

"I know, I know. I just got this job! I don't want to lose it!"

"Good! Now get to it!"

"Course, it would've been smarter for me to not have gotten involved with this hideous bunch in the first place," he muttered to himself. "Still, if I want to eat, I need to have gold. I was too picky before. That time I passed out in Caelin… Nothing funny about that at all. That man… Matthew, if it hadn't been for him, I probably would've starved to death."

"What're you mumbling about!" the mousy man asked. "Get to your post now!"

"Yes, yes, I'm coming!" he said as he went to his assigned place. "It may not be the best choice, but at least I've got work."

* * *

When they arrived to the place just before the river forked, Rebecca simply stood off to the side while Dorcas and Bartre hacked away at a sizeable dead tree next to the water. It little time, they had cut enough of the base so that it fell over and caught itself firmly in place, creating a makeshift bridge for them. The three crossed to the other side easily and walked to where they were told was the wooden bridge that gave access to the castle's immediate surroundings. On their way, Dorcas and Bartre picked up a couple of logs which they'd cut from one of the trees and carried it in their arms, to make the illusion even more convincing. Rebecca, for her part, had a dead rabbit hanging from her side. They passed by a cluster of houses, and made their way to the bridge. When they reached it, they saw five soldiers, with swords, spears and axes who seemed as if they were waiting for something, or someone.

A few of them looked at the three, and dismissed them as unimportant. As they were getting closer, a man with a quiver on his back and a bow in hand came running towards the five soldiers. "The fighting's already started on the south east front," he spoke to the others when he got close enough. "The enemy's pushing hard against our boys. We're needed there."

Just as he finished his sentence, which also turned out to be his last, Rebecca quickly fitted an arrow to her bow and fired, the short range making it easy for her to shoot him in the neck. Before any of the others had the time to react to that, Dorcas and Bartre threw down the logs they'd been holding onto the feet of two more. Bartre then pulled a hand axe from his belt and flung it at another, the weapon sinking into his chest with a thud. He and Dorcas took out their axes and swiftly cut down the swordsman and an axe wielder.

The spearman scrambled for his weapon, but only managed to grip his hand around the shaft, when Rebecca's second arrow struck him between the eyes. The remaining axe wielder died when Dorcas beheaded him with a single stroke.

"That was easy," Bartre remarked.

"Let's just move on and hope the others are doing as well," Dorcas added.

* * *

"Well, that appears to be the last of this bunch," Oswin said as he pulled his lance out of a dead soldier's body. The larger part of the group had just finished off a band of men about twice as many in number as they were. Elayna stayed back with Serra, her eyes constantly alert, while Matthew remained nearby for the most part. Eliwood was placed in the middle of the line, Hector and Oswin were in the center left and center right, respectively, with Marcus and Lowen at the wings.

They kept moving onward in this general formation, encountering a group of soldiers that attempted to spring a trap for them by waiting in a cluster of trees. But Eliwood and the others simply fought through this setback as if they had known of them before the ambush. Even so, it was still a heated skirmish, one which caused a few injuries, though none of them serious. They stopped briefly to catch their breath as Serra tended to a gash on Hector's cheek. She chanted a few words, at which her staff's jewel glowed and Hector's wound sealed up.

They resumed their march, coming across no more foes for some time. At one point, when they were getting close to the bridge, Matthew told Elayna that he would go ahead to seek out the Sacaean swordsman whom he'd previously mentioned. She nodded for him to go ahead, and she herself followed for a bit, staying at a distance where she could observe in case she needed to call over the others should Matthew need help.

The spy in question walked casually over to the lone Sacaean youth who stood guard near the beginning of the bridge. "Well hello there," he greeted when he got close enough. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Guy?"

Guy frowned in thought for a moment, then his expression changed as he remembered the identity of the man speaking to him. "Is your name Matthew by any chance?"

"Ah, so you do remember me. What a pleasant surprise! So, tell me, what've you been doing lately? How's your swordwork coming along?"

"Umm, Matthew? I don't think this is really the best time to be catching up."

"Humm? That wouldn't happen to be because of my friends who've been plowing through a couple of welcoming committees?"

"If you're against the people I'm working for, then that would make us on opposite sides."

"What? Do you really mean to say that you would fight me? Here and now?"

Guy drew in sword in response. "Well, yeah. I've gotten much better. You won't be able to beat me."

"As much as it might be fun, I think I'd prefer if you repaid what you owe me instead."

"Huh? Me owe you?" Guy asked, visibly confused by this.

"You know… Last time I saw you, I did give you food. If I remember correctly, you said you owed me your life."

"I only said that cause you'd feed me if I did!" he said, a touch of anger seeping into his voice. "I hadn't eaten in ten days and you were cooking meat! What else was I supposed to do? You… You…This… This isn't fair!"

"The people of Sacae never lie. Isn't that right, Guy?"

"Grr… fine!" He slammed his sword back into its sheath. "I finally found work and now I have to throw it all away! This is entirely your fault!"

"Don't worry yourself. Since you're done with those guys, you'll be working with us now. Come on, I'll present you to our tactician." Matthew clapped Guy on the shoulder and led him towards the others. Elayna motioned for the rest of the group to come over and stepped out into the open. "Guy, this is Elayna. Elayna, this is my good friend Guy."

"Pleasure to have you with us," she said as she extended her hand.

Guy extended his own and shook Elayna's. "Umm… Nice meeting you."

"Now, now, Guy," Matthew said with a grin on his face. "I know you may find her stunning and all, but you'll have plenty of time to stare at her later."

"Matthew…" the young tactician spoke up. "I don't think you want to go further with this." A blush had crept onto her cheeks as well as Guy. "Anyway…" She then quickly introduced the other members of their group and they continued towards the castle.

* * *

With Rebecca, Dorcas and Bartre on one side, with Eliwood and his group on the other, the remnants of the Santaruz forces were overwhelmed soon enough, despite their considerable numbers. The lords and their allies fought fiercely, proving to be a match and more for their opponents. Even when there were no more than six of them left, with the situation so hopelessly against them, they kept on fighting. Yet, as had always been the case with Lyndis' Legion before, Elayna guided her friends with such expertise so that every one of them came out alive and well, with only a few scratches.

"We finally made it," Eliwood said. "Come now, we must find Lord Helman." With that said, they all went inside the castle. But while some of them stayed behind to patch up their wounds, the rest went on ahead to search for the Lord of Santaruz. After going through the hallways for some time, Eliwood opened one of the doors in particular and beckoned Hector and Elayna over. Lord Helman was lying on the floor, blood seeping through his fingers from the stab wound in his stomach. "Lord Helman."

The elderly man blinked a little and focused on the Pherean youth. "Eliwood? Is that you?" he spoke in a weak and strained voice.

"Hold on, my lord!" he said as he kneeled down.

"Eliwood… I… I'm sorry. Your father… He..."

"Do you know something, sir?"

"If only… If I hadn't told Elbert… about… Darin's plans… This would… never… have…" He coughed a little, his remaining strength fading faster.

"Lord Helman!"

"… Go to Laus. Darin… the marquess of Laus… knows all."

"Marquess Laus?" Hector asked.

"I'm sorry, Eliwood, Hector… I… I can't… but give… warning. Beware… the Black Fang… dangerous." With those last words uttered, Marquess Santaruz's body slumped, now devoid of life.

"Lord Helman!"

"He's gone," Hector stated.

Elayna place a hand on Eliwood's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"Lord Helman…" he closed the dead man's eyes and stood up, sadness on his face. "Why… Why did this happen?"

"Damn it!" Hector cursed. "What in heaven's name is going on with all of this?"

Eliwood's expression changed to determination. "We must find out what's happening. We go to Laus. We need to speak with the marquess, Lord Darin."

"So, Laus it is," Elayna muttered. "If we're going to make any headway, we should leave soon. If we set a good pace, we can make it within a few days."

"You're right," Hector agreed. "Better we get moving now and get as much distance covered as we can than just sit still here."

"Pardon me…" a new voice spoke up from the hallway. The three of them turned around and saw a gray haired man with a moustache who was wearing fine green livery who stepped into the room. "If I may…"

"Who are you?" Eliwood asked.

"I'm the Steward of Santaruz. With our lord gone, what are we to do?"

"First order of business, is to give Lord Helman a proper burial," Hector spoke. "Then, there's a prisoner tied to a tree at the edge of the forest north-east of here. After that… The Lycian council will probably have to meet to sort out the situation. Until then, stay here and defend the castle."

"Understood." He bowed to them and walked out.

"Let's go then," Eliwood said. "We need to keep moving."

"Right," Hector agreed. "Now we're seeking answers for Marquess Santaruz, too."

Eliwood looked at the body one last time and did the symbol of Elimine in the air. "Lord Helman… May you find peace."

"And may Elimine watch over you," Elayna muttered.

* * *

With the castle's people taking care of what needed to be done, Eliwood, Hector and Elayna joined up with all the others. They told them about Lord Helman's unfortunate demise and his dying words, and that as a result, that their new objective was to reach Laus to speak with the marquess. Determination ingrained in them, they set out once again.

* * *

Okay! I hope you liked it and review are appreciated. When I was a bit younger, sometimes I would climb up a white birch tree and then make it tip back, then let it go so it would make it snap the other way. So that's where the idea came from. Anyways, until next time!


	17. Chapter 15: Revelations

Disclaimer: It's hard to believe, but I don't own Fire Emblem.

Okay, like the chapter's title suggests, Elayna's gonna be revealing some of her past. I must give credit to aviatrix8 and their fic 'To Catch a Thief'. It's actually the reason I discovered in the first place. Also, a chunk of Elayna's background comes from that fic, which aviatrix8 was gracious enough to let me use. So thanks! and to any one reading this, enjoy!

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Chapter 15: ****Revelations**

A day and night had already gone by since Eliwood and the others had gone to Castle Santaruz and fought off their enemies there, only to find Lord Helman dying in his room. But with his last words, he'd told them to head out to Laus, to seek the Marquess, Darin. Following that, the group left to make as much headway towards their destination as possible, and had managed to get out of Santaruz before having to camp for the night. Most of them had erected their tents, or simply spread out their bedrolls on the ground, and laid down to sleep.

Elayna had put up her own tent and gone in for the night. But she hadn't gone to sleep immediately, instead opting to keep a lamp lit, which cast enough light to permit for her to stay up reading. She'd gone over the notes in her journal for a while, the earliest dating from three to four years prior, around the time when she and her brother had first joined the Emerald Eagles. She also wandered over the pages relating her adventure with Lyndis' Legion and the notes she'd taken of its members, comparing them to the Eagles' own. Setting aside her journal, she'd taken the time to go over a few maps of Lycia she possessed, thinking about their course, the pace they were setting, and other such things. Eventually, she had killed the lamp and gone to sleep like the others.

The following day had seen the group continue their march towards Laus like they'd been doing so far. Moving at good speed, they had covered much distance and were deep enough within Caelin's territory. Their journey had seen no interruptions of importance in the realms of bandits, brigands, or any other kind of ill intended people. Night was beginning to come about them as they were thinking of stopping to make camp again. At the present moment, Elayna was leading Grace by her reins, the gray packhorse following the tactician with her tent and a few belongings which she carried on her back.

The young woman took note of Matthew and Guy who were walking just ahead. From what she could tell, the Sacaean swordsman seemed less than pleased with the brunette man, mumbling angrily under his breath. Matthew left him alone and Elayna chose to walk up to him to talk. "Hey Guy," she greeted him.

"Oh, hey, Elayna."

"So, how do you find life with our group so far?" she inquired.

"It's nice, I guess. Except for that blasted thief with his blasted noose around my neck." He muttered the last part under his breath.

"I take it Matthew did something to put you in this kind of mood?"

"Yeah, that he did."

"Care to share with me what it was?"

"Well, put simply, he attacked me last night without warning when I was sleeping."

Elayna's eyebrows frowned in confusion at hearing this. "That's strange. Why is it he would do such a thing?"

"Because he's a manipulating thief filled with trickery and too scared to confront an opponent face to face."

"I'll admit that he's a tricky one. However, now that I'm thinking about it, how exactly did he convince you to leave behind the others and join us?"

"Errrm, you see, I kind of met him once before. I was stuck in Caelin, ran out of food and passed out from hunger. Afterwards, I came across Matthew, who happened to be cooking some meat over a fire. I went up to him, asked for food, and he gave it to me. He probably saved my life with that. Although, if I had of known how much it would end up costing me, I might have just let myself starve."

"Let me guess, he brought up that favor when you were talking with him and said that you owed him because of it."

"Pretty much."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me. So what's the rest of the story?"

"Well, apparently he wasn't satisfied with just one favor paid back. He decided that I still owed him three favors because he'd given me four pieces of meat. He and I were supposed to duel over the oathpaper that had all the details written on it, but he got to choose when and where it'd happen."

"I see. Sorry you have to suffer Matthew's tormenting." She gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "If you want, I could talk to him and see about making him reconsider his hold over you."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

"No problem." The group went on for a bit, until Eliwood and Hector decided that they'd gone on long enough and that they should stop. Elayna walked next to the two lords. "So, I take it we're camping out here?"

"Yeah," Hector answered. "Figure we've done enough for a while. So, this is Caelin. Should we go to the castle and present ourselves to Lord Hausen?"

"We're only passing through," Eliwood said. "So I don't think we need to bother him. I am curious as to how Lyndis is getting along, though."

"Lyndis? Isn't she Lord Hausen's granddaughter? The Sacaean girl who dealt with Lundgren last year?"

"That's her," Elayna answered.

"Right. Eliwood, didn't you help them out with that whole thing after Kathelet?"

"Yes, a little."

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Eliwood. After all, you did help us greatly by convincing Caelin's neighbors to stay away from Lundgren."

"Can't remember much about the granddaughter," Hector stepped in. "Is she a beauty?"

"A beauty? She's… I don't… she's… It must be her Sacaean heritage. She's… striking."

"Striking? Too bad, isn't it?"

"What do you mean, Hector?"

"Too bad we don't have the time to see her, lover boy."

Eliwood became flustered at his friend's comment. "No! Lyndis and I… We're not like that!"

"You're not? Then why are you getting so worked up about it?"

"Hector! Don't make me angry!"

"You are so much fun to tease!"

"Elayna, that's not funny!" the red haired lord said in regard to the fact that she was holding her stomach while laughing at his expense.

They suddenly heard a loud, shrill cry coming down from where they were. "!"

"You hear that?" Hector asked.

"It was a scream. Someone's in trouble!"

"Then let's go help em out." Quickly relaying orders to the other members of the group to drop their excess belongings, they took up their weapons and went in the direction that the sound had come from. After a short moment later, they could see a well dressed man with long blue hair and a short mustache who's wagon was held up by a pair of brigands. One wore light armor and carried a sword, the other was smaller and had an axe at his side.

"Stupid old man," the smaller bandit said. "Hey, Puzon," he addressed the swordsman, presumably the leader. "Can we get rid of him now?"

"I guess so. There's no reason to let him live any longer." The mousy axe wielding man took his weapon from his side, but that was as far as he would get. Because at that moment, a knife flew through the air and sunk deeply into his throat. "What the-?" The leader then took notice of the group coming towards him and backed off a little from the merchant and his wagon.

"Get away from him!" Eliwood commanded.

"Who are you?"

"I told you to get away from him, now!"

"If you move quickly, we might even let you live," Hector added.

"Know what I think? Bloody nobles' brats. Living off your parents' names, prancing about… I despise you!" He ran back, shouting his men who were waiting further back. "Come on! Get out here! Kill them all!"

"You," she addressed the blue haired man they'd saved. "Get behind us if you want to live." He hurried to do just that, quickly leading his horse and wagon behind the group while she pulled her dagger out of the dead bandit's throat.

"What's the plan, Elayna?" Eliwood asked as he drew the rapier at his side.

"First, fall back and gather everyone together." The group backed off from their current location and congregated around the merchant. "Eliwood, take Bartre and Dorcas and form a line to meet the enemy. Hector, stand at the left wing, Oswin, take the left. Rebecca, stay behind them in the middle and provide cover. Serra, hang around Rebecca and be ready. Let them come to you, don't chase after them and don't let them get past you." The named people arranged themselves in their assigned placements.

"What about us?" Guy asked.

"I'm pairing you with Matthew." Guy groaned upon hearing her words. "You two are quiet and fast, so you're sneaking around the left end and hitting the first wave in that flank. We need to hold their attention on us. Go!" The Sacaean swordsman and the Ostian spy crept off, Matthew leading Guy through the darkness to avoid being seen. "Marcus, Lowen," she turned towards the two Pherean knights. "Here's what you're doing..."

* * *

Shortly thereafter, the main portion of the group found itself locked in combat with the bandits. Their immediate enemies numbered between fifteen and twenty, but the lords and their allies stood firm and gave no ground. Eliwood manipulated his rapier with deadly skill and finesse, sidestepping an axe swing, causing the bandit responsible to overextend himself. Taking advantage of this, he jabbed with his blade, planting it squarely in his enemy's heart and pulling it out right back after.

Fighting fiercely at his sides, Dorcas and Bartre hacked and hewed through the brigands. The Bernese fighter swung his axe, which was blocked by his opponent's sword, but trapped the weapon between the axe blade and shaft. He pulled back and punched the man hard in the stomach, finishing off by severing his head. His friend fought in a slightly less precise manner and more unpredictably manner, which served his purpose as he successfully used his battle axe and a smaller one to cut down a bandit. He then hurled the hand weapon which sailed through the air and lodged itself firmly in the middle of another's face.

Hector fought in a style similar to Bartre, albeit with a bit more accuracy behind his moves, if still somewhat wild. Their green haired archer fired off arrow after arrow, hitting the brigands' throats, chests or limbs, killing off stragglers as she saw them. Oswin, with his heavy plate armor and impressive strength, was able to hold his position with ease. He swept an enemy's legs out from under him with his lance and quickly stabbed him in the stomach, pulling out his weapon in time to deflect a sword strike. He retaliated by hitting the man's stomach with the butt end of his spear, sending him crashing down.

The six of them went on in this general manner for a while. To further worsen the bandits' situation, they were caught off guard when Matthew and Guy attacked their left flank. Faced with such a maneuver and their determination, the bandits' ranks we're completely decimated, down to the last man. This done, Serra took the time to run about with her staff, healing what injuries she could see. "The second wave's going to come at us soon," Matthew said. "There are almost as many as the first."

"Of course," Elayna responded. "Guy, front of the line next to Eliwood. Matthew, with Hector. Everyone spread out more and prepare to advance."

"Elayna, what's with the change of tactics?" Hector asked, puzzled by her decision. "And where are Marcus and Lowen?"

"You'll see soon." Despite his confusion, the blue haired lordling simply went along with it. They spread out from each other a little and waited in their formation as the bandits came towards them. "Move forward and brace yourselves!" she ordered. As they started to advance, she placed a hand on Serra's shoulder and quickly whispered a few words in her ear.

"What-" the pink haired cleric began, but was interrupted.

"Now!" Elayna said sternly.

Serra took a deep breath, and then emptied out her lungs as loudly as she could. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

The group was obviously startled by the sheer volume of the cry emitted by their healer. The bandits for their part, were also somewhat surprised by it, but continued their advance regardless of such. "Keep moving!" Elayna commanded. Unsure as to what the purpose of that was, they kept moving onward, drawing closer to the second wave of enemies. But, just as they were getting close, Marcus and Lowen came charging in, smashing into the bandits' right flank and throwing them into disorder.

The rest of them took advantage of their enemies' upset and attacked them. Like the first group of brigands, the second took heavy losses. "You'll pay for this!" the bandit leader shouted in rage. He then rushed almost blindly towards his enemies. Eliwood went to sidestep and stab him, but he went by before the red haired lord could accomplish the second part of his move. He attempted to bring his sword around in an effort to strike Rebecca, but unfortunately for him, he got nowhere close. Elayna stepped in front of the leader and swiftly sliced a dagger inside his elbow of his sword arm, causing blood to gush forth. The weapon in question dropped from his hand, but before it hit the ground, Elayna had already stabbed him in the heart.

He stared blankly for a split second, and then fell flat on the ground. The few remaining bandits who saw their leader fall, decided that the odds were far too stacked against them, and with that, they fled, the lords and their friends content to let them run away. "Whew, glad we're done with them," Hector said. "Well, Elayna," he turned towards the tactician. "I've gotta say it, you are good at this. And you take the word unexpected to a new level."

"Thank you. As for being unexpected… well, it usually tends to help when you do something your enemy doesn't see coming."

Eliwood turned his attention towards the merchant man they'd saved. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. As you can see, I'm as fine as fine can be. As a token of my thanks…" He went to reach into his wagon to pull out something.

"Do not worry yourself. We did nothing to merit reward."

"That's right," Hector agreed. "We don't need any peddler's junk."

"P-P-Peddler?"

"Hector!" Eliwood smacked his friend lightly.

"Oooops!"

"Might we ask who you are?" Elayna wondered.

"Of course. I am Merlinus. You will find no other merchant whose goods can compare with my own. Despite appearances, I am quite prosperous."

"You're a merchant, hey?" Hector spoke. "Books and knives and all that?"

"Hector, your manners are terrible," Eliwood sighed.

Elayna scoffed at this. "He'd need to have manners for them to be terrible in the first place."

"Come on!" Hector protested.

"Merlinus, please pay no mind to what this oaf has to say," Eliwood motioned to his friend.

"Of course not. I wasn't really concerned. By the way, you obviously come from highborn houses. Would you grant me the honor of your names?"

"Elayna, commoner with an aptitude for tactics."

"I am Eliwood, son of Marquess Pherae."

"I'm Hector, Lord Uther's brother."

"Goodness! Pherae! Ostia! The greatest houses in all of Lycia! To be saved by noblemen such as yourselves… And Elayna, you must be the amazing tactician who brought about Lundgren's defeat last year. It is an honor beyond words to meet you!"

"It's nice to be appreciated once in a while. Lately, more people than I care more just seem to want to see us dead. Tell me, Merlinus, what do you plan to do next?"

"I had planned on travelling around Lycia selling my merchandise, but… It might not be possible dangerous times like these."

"Well then, why don't you just come with us? You travels won't be ending anytime soon. We've got more people and more stuff to carry around. It might be good to have help with managing our things"

"Now that is a splendid idea!" Merlinus said excitedly. "Taking care of merchandise is what I do, after all!"

"Are you sure?" Eliwood asked. "This isn't going to be an easy trip."

"I am quite certain about this, my lord. To be honest, I've always dreamed of working for a noble house. To have my fondest wish granted in such a way… I cannot steam these tears of joy!"

"Uhh, okay…" Hector said uncertainly.

* * *

Following the introduction of Merlinus into the group, most of them had decided to see about a few things they could get from him. Of course, given Hector's suggestion, there had also decisions about what people wanted to carry around themselves and what they preferred simply leaving for the merchant to take care of. Elayna spoke to him for some time, generally inquiring as to what kind of maps he possessed of Laus and a few select places which she lacked.

He fulfilled her requests as best he could, in addition to giving her a looking glass for having saved him. She accepted it gracefully and continued about her business. She went to take care of Grace and unload her tent from the packhorse's back. Having done it often enough before, putting the tent together was easy for Elayna. She dropped her belongings onto her bedroll and returned to see the merchant. "Merlinus," she spoke to him. "Would you happen to have a small collapsible table? And perhaps a chair while I'm as it?"

"Yes, I do believe I have those here." He pulled out a small table and two chairs and passed them to her.

"Thanks."

"Need a hand with those?" Matthew asked as he came by.

"Really, you would actually offer to help freely? I wonder what happened to Matthew."

"I'm here alright," the spy responded with a grin on his face. He held out his hand and took the chairs. He walked next to Elayna as she returned to her tent. "And by the way, nice trick you pulled out of your sleeve," he said, placing emphasis on the last word. She raised a questioning eyebrow at this. "And the way you just seemed to disappear during the battle, I must say that I found myself to be impressed."

"What're you talking about, Matthew? Of course I didn't disappear. I'm not a magician who can do that just by snapping my fingers or anything."

"Perhaps disappearing wasn't the exact word I wanted to say. Hmm… perhaps more like fading away, blending into the background, like a shadow, or like me."

Elayna sighed a little to herself. "Why don't you come inside my tent and we'll talk about this?"

"Very well then." Matthew followed her until they reached her tent. She ducked inside, unfolded the table and pulled out a lamp which she lit and set on it. Matthew passed her one of the chairs and sat down on the other after having extended it. The tactician set down her own and sat opposite of the Ostian.

"So, Matthew… where are you going with all these little hints and comments?"

"Just curious, but how many knives do you carry? I mean, apart from the one you show off, there's one hidden up both your sleeves and I do believe you keep another hidden underneath the robes on your right leg."

"What makes you think I possess this many weapons about myself? And why would that be a problem?"

"Well, for one, I've noticed a few times that you've been able to reach for your dagger rather quickly, if I might say so. Such as when you took out the bandit leader. And no, I'm not saying that it's a problem, just that I find it rather curious that you would be armed in such a manner."

"I need to be able to defend myself when I'm traveling alone. In case you didn't know, a woman by herself is often seen as an easy target for people with ill intentions. If I carried that many knives out in the open, it'd just serve to make them more alert."

"Perhaps. But still, there's also the fact that your skills in concealing yourself are far above those of an average person. And your senses are rather sharp, I might add. Also, I happened to overhear about how you managed to simply open a locked door in the Black Fang fortress, despite Erk's attempt. Another thing, there's also the fact that you have smoke stones and lockpick wires." Elayna remained silent at this, simply looking at the man opposite her with a blank face. "So, examining all those factors, more than one of them seem to suggest a set of skills belonging to a spy, assassin, or even thief."

The young woman sighed, knowing that with those facts outlined before her, she was cornered like a mouse by a cat. "Did Hector ask you to do this little inquiry, or does he know?"

"For now, he doesn't. But then again, that may yet change… depending on what you tell me."

"Alright then, spy. What do you want to know?"

"Well, for starters, you can tell me which of the three you are."

"I'm a tactician. But if you must know, I was once a thief."

"Really? So, what happened along the way?"

"I'll have to go into my childhood to explain that. Okay. I was born in Bern, not too far from the capital, Erkesior. My mother was an Etrurian merchant and my father was a mercenary. They died when I was about three years old, so my brother and I ended up in an orphanage in the capital city."

"You have a brother?"

"Yes. He's my twin, named Mark. Anyway, we lived in the orphanage for a few years. It was funded by some old noble, so it was a decent place. But then the old noble died, his son inherited his fortune and decided that he didn't feel like 'wasting away' gold on something like maintaining a house for a bunch of homeless kids." Scorn entered Elayna's voice as she spoke of the noble's son.

"And…?" Matthew pressed for her to continue.

"With that kind of drop in the orphanage's funds, it pretty much became run down like any other place trying to take care of homeless children. So, in order to survive, my brother and I took to pick pocketing. We'd steal food or money from people to keep from going hungry. We went on like this for a while, until one time, we cut some foreign noble's purse and were seen. As it happens, the one who saw us was the head of the Guild of Thieves. He decided to take us under his wing and teach us about the art of thieving."

"I see…"

"We lived pretty well as members of the guild. We were paid, ate well enough, we're taken care of. The guild master was good man. He'd even share his collection of books and let me read through them. History, geography, battles and tactics… whatever he had available. Life went on like this until around the time my brother and I turned fourteen."

"What happened then?"

"It started when the guildmaster mysteriously died and was replaced by someone else. From there, things just took a turn for the worst. The guild took a 'darker' tone, he changed the building on top of where we were located to a brothel and tried using some of the female guild members. Fortunately for me, I just managed to be spared from that. One time, Mark and I were given a mission to rob some rich jeweller's house. But, what we weren't told until just before we got there, was that we were expected to kill him as well. Despite all the thieving that we'd done before, my brother and I had never been prepared to kill someone for that. So, we ran away and left the guild."

Matthew raised an eyebrow at this. "You just abandoned your job like that?"

"Yes," she said bluntly. "Like I said, we weren't prepared to kill for them. Anyway, as you can probably guess, the guild was… less than happy, about our unexpected leave and they sent their people after us, to see to it we'd be silenced. To shake them off, Mark and I escaped towards the mountains, but, as it happened, we'd left in the middle of winter. It wasn't all that bad though, except for the fact that by the time we reached the mountains, a vicious snowstorm suddenly sprung up. None of us were prepared for such a thing and were caught off guard by it. The guild's people got away from it and turned back, likely thinking that we were both dead."

"Obviously that isn't what happened," Matthew noted.

"Of course. Fate must have decided to take pity on us, because we were found huddled in the snow behind a large boulder. The one who discovered us was a mercenary belonging to a team who happened to be bunkered down in the area when we came by. They all took care of us, making sure we got back to full health."

"There's more to your story, isn't there?"

"Yeah, there is." She picked up her bag and rummaged through it for a second until she pulled out a blue brooch with a small emerald colored eagle which she set on the table between them. "Does this mean anything to you?"

Matthew picked up the object in question and examined it closely. "Hmmm… Emerald Eagle… Wasn't that the name of a renowned Bernese mercenary band?" Elayna nodded in confirmation. "So, I'm guessing they're the ones you and your brother ran into."

"Exactly." Matthew passed her back the brooch which she returned to her bag. "Their leader was a man named Erik. He was a good person. When Mark and I were better, we told him our lives up to that point. After listening to our story, he offered us to join the Eagles. We figured it was a good idea, so we agreed. During our time with them, Erik taught me all he knew about tactics, adding on to what I'd read in books. Mark, for his part, trained to be a swordsman, with Erik and the other band's members. We stayed with them for about two years, fighting bandits and brigands, until the point when they split up."

"Why'd they disband?" Matthew inquired innocently.

"During that time, we'd succeeded in attracting King Desmond's personal attention. We found out that he wanted to recruit us into service to the crown. One of the things the Emerald Eagles were known for was pledging ourselves to the Bernese people and generally staying away from nobility. None of us had any particular love for the king, so we broke apart to avoid him. Mark and I decided to go our own ways then."

"Why wouldn't you two stay together?"

"Because, we thought the guild of thieves might still be on the lookout for us. And we figured that it was probably easier to avoid them and the crown if we went different ways. My brother headed west, to Lycia, and I went north, into Sacae. I'd been in too much of a hurry, so I neglected supplies a little, and as a result, I collapsed on the plains. The rest, as they say, is history."

"Uh uh. There you were found by Lyndis and went along with on with her all the way until Caelin." Matthew had a thoughtful expression on his face for a moment. "So, what happened to your brother then?"

Elayna's facial expression became nostalgic at this, something which was represented in her voice. "I don't know. After all the trouble in Caelin ended, I just wandered around Lycia, trying to find him. The only trace I've had of him so far was that he'd passed through a small Pherean village a month before me, with some employer. After I met up with Eliwood there and he asked me to help in the search for his father, I agreed, partly because I was hoping to run into Mark during our travels."

"Well… I must say, that's quite a tale," the Ostian spy said.

"It's not just a tale, it's my life."

"As much as it might be against my nature to trust to easily, I think I actually believe you're telling the truth."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. However…" he said with a grin on his face.

"However… what?" she asked, suspiciously.

Matthew stood up and pulled a scroll out from under his cloak and flattened it on the table between them. "Now, if you don't mind signing this oathpaper, Lord Eliwood and Hector need not learn about your… other skills."

Elayna got to her feet and looked down at the scroll. "I'd ask if you were joking about this, but I'm pretty sure I already know."

"Good. So, if you just get a quill and sign on the dotted line-"

"No," she said simply.

"Come now miss. There's no need to-" He was cut off when a dagger suddenly appeared next to his hand, stabbing directly on the dotted line.

"I said no." Elayna was still standing opposite him with her arms crossed.

The Ostian spy then took notice of the dagger in question. He recognized it as one of his own. Reaching at his side where he usually kept it, he found the sheath to be empty and smiled at this. "Very good, Elayna. And I thought you were a tactician now."

"I am. I've simply kept the skills I've picked up before and occasionally call upon them. In the domain of tactics and otherwise."

"Touché, Lady Tactician," Matthew said as he took back his dagger.

"Oh, and also, don't try attacking me in my sleep. Guy told me what you did to him."

"You know, a real thief wouldn't give me warning," he noted.

"But I'm not a thief anymore. Just a tactician with a thief's skills." Matthew laughed a little at this. "Also, you should try going easy on him, seeing what you've already inflicted on the poor man."

"Are you sure you aren't so inclined to help him for any… special reasons?" he said in a suggestive tone.

"Get out of here, will you?"

"Of course. By the way, glad we understand each other now." Matthew stepped out of the tent, leaving the tactician shaking her head at his irrepressible behavior.

* * *

Okay, once again, I'd like to thanks aviatrix8. The way Elayna divulged her past to Matthew, is based off how the tactician does it in 'To Catch a Thief'. The specifications about her parents, as well as the Emerald Eagles are things I mad up myself, but the parts about her and her brother living in orphanage, pickpocketing, joining the guild of thieves and whatever's related to that, is stuff from 'To Catch a Thief'.

So, as usual, reviews are appreciated and I hope you liked it!


	18. Chapter 16: The Battle of Laus

Disclaimer: I don't own fire emblem. There you have it!

Okay everyone who reads this, I'm still alive and kicking, just so you know.

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Chapter 16: The Battle of Laus**

Close to four days after having saved Merlinus' life, Eliwood and his friends were finally entrenched in the canton of Laus. According to their estimates, they would have less than half a day's march remaining before they'd reach Castle Laus, and by extension, the Marquess. At the moment, the lords and their company were in a mildly forested area, beginning to set up camp, even though evening hadn't quite settled itself in the surroundings just yet, something which Hector chose to point out.

"I don't understand why we're setting up camp right now, " he said. "It's barely even dark yet."

Elayna sighed as she rubbed her temple. She was currently standing next to Eliwood and Hector, while discussing the manner in which they would approach Laus Castle. "By staying a reasonable distance from the castle, we're reducing the chances that Darin's people know about us. If he's involved in the matter as deeply as we think he is, by letting him know that we're here beforehand, it'll give him time to prepare an excuse of some sort or ready an ambush."

"But even if we stay here and head out the next morning, e could still have time to plan something," Hector noted.

"Yes," Eliwood agreed. "But, by staying out of range for the night, we won't give him as much. And by catching him by surprise, if he tries to make up an excuse, it will be easier to see the flaws and if he tries an ambush, it won't be as well prepared. Right, Elayna?"

The tactician nodded to the red haired lord. "Exactly. I thought you were listening when we said this earlier. Or have you become hard of hearing, little lord?" she asked Hector, a mocking smile on her face.

"I am not hard of hearing!"

"Perhaps, but the rest of the camp may turn out as such if you keep shouting like that."

"Why you little…" Hector growled, while Elayna and Eliwood laughed at his expense. "If you were a man I'd thump you in a sparring match."

Elayna crossed her arms beneath her breasts and looked at the blue haired lord as if she were offended. "And you think that just because I'm a woman I can't stand toe to toe with you?"

"I didn't mean-"

Elayna then turned around and walked over to Marcus, who, with a bit of reluctance, took out a pair of wooden practice swords and passed them to her. She then walked back to the two lords and tossed one to Hector. "Elayna, I'm not entirely sure that this is a good idea," Eliwood said cautiously. "I've spared with Hector and he is good. And besides, I thought you said that you don't use swords."

She simply gave him a self-assured smile. "Don't you worry about me, I'll be fine."

"If you say so."

The two opponents then started to walk out of the camp area, until they reached a place of Elayna's choosing. "You're up to something," Matthew whispered to her. "I know you are."

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. You'll just have to wait and see."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Hector asked as they stood a short distance apart.

"Having second thoughts, little lordling?"

The Ostian's face twitched at the taunt. "You wish!" Matthew, Eliwood, Marcus and Oswin stepped aside so they could watch and give them both room.

Elayna held the practice sword in one hand, and with the other, she motioned for her opponent to come forth. "Come along, I'm waiting." Hector then raised his own practice weapon and advanced forward. But, to his surprise, and those watching, when he got within a few feet from Elayna, he suddenly felt his foot pulled out from underneath him and fell face first on the ground. Elayna then closed the distance between the two of them and gently tapped the point of her wooden sword against the back of Hector's neck. "You lose."

The people watching could now see that there had been a trap for catching small game next to a tree. When he'd stepped into the middle of it, the rope had squeezed shut around his foot and pulled upward, except that he was too heavy, and had only tripped. Elayna dropped the practice weapon she held and drew the knife at her belt, which she used to cut Hector free. "You… you… you cheated!" he said, as he stood up, pointing an accusing finger at her.

"No, I merely took advantage of the terrain," she explained smoothly.

"That's just a fancy way of saying you cheated," he mumbled unhappily.

"Victory doesn't always come from the strength of your arm. It also comes from here," she said, pointing to her head.

"I'll keep that in mind."

They all started walking back to the camp area to set up their tents. Matthew approached Elayna and started to converse with her. "I knew you had something up your sleeve. How very devious that was."

She smirked at him in response. "Two important rules in the realm of tactics: Be aware of your surroundings, and know how to use them."

"Well said, Lady Tactician," Matthew replied.

"Thank you, Master Thief," she shot back. Grinning at her in response, the Ostian spy gave her a mock bow and left her to go his own way. "Unbelievable," she muttered to herself as she walked over to the post where she had tied Grace. When she got to it, she fed the gray packhorse, then grabbed her tent and began to set it up. Halfway done, she happened to look up and saw Guy coming over.

"Hello Elayna," the Sacaean Myrmidon greeted her. "How're you doing?"

"Hello Guy," she replied with a friendly smile. "I'm fine. What about you?"

"Same here. Do you want any help with that?" he asked, pointing to her tent.

"Sure, thank you."

"No problem." Together, they finished setting up the tent in little time. That done, Elayna deposited her bedroll inside, along with the remainder of her possessions. "Maybe we should go get some food now."

"Good idea. I'm starving." Elayna and Guy then made their way towards the campfire where Rebecca was stirring a pot of rabbit stew. Most of the others were sitting on logs around the fire, with the exception of Merlinus, Serra, Lowen and Marcus.

"You two must be hungry," the green haired archer said as she saw the two approaching. She picked up a pair of bowls from the grounds, put some stew in and passed it to them. "Here you go." Both thanked her and went to sit down. The Ostian spy beckoned Guy to sit next to him, which he did reluctantly, while Elayna seated herself next to Eliwood and Hector.

"I must say, that was an interesting trick you used," the red haired lord commented.

"Yeah, it sure caught me off guard," the Ostian youth admitted.

"If it hadn't, you probably would've won," Elayna said.

Hector raised an eyebrow in question. "Probably?"

"If I were to fight you on even ground, you'd have a significantly better chance of winning than I would. However, even luck can be a changing factor." As she spoke, Elayna happened to notice Matthew whisper a few words to Guy, which made the Sacaean youth turn red.

"Have you ever played chess?" Eliwood inquired. The brunette/blond woman merely shook her head, given that she had her mouth full. "I should teach you sometime. I'm sure you'd be good at it."

Guy then rose from his seat and walked over to the tactician. "Umm, Elayna? Can I talk with you for a moment?"

"Sure." She set the now empty bowl on the ground, stood up and walked over to where Matthew was. The man in question smirked and got up from his seat. "So… what it is?" she asked.

"You know what I told you about me still owing Matthew three favors?" he asked softly enough so that only she would hear. "Well… he just said that he'd release me from one of them."

"That's good. But what does he want in return?"

"He wants me to do something… but it wouldn't be right unless I asked you."

"Just tell me what it is." Guy leaned in close and whispered a few words directly into Elayna's ear. "Ooookaaaaayyy…" she said slowly, both their faces turning a deep shade of red. "Did he say it had to be right now? While everyone else is around?"

"Yes. But nothing forces you do this," he made sure to specify. "I can always find something else."

"That's okay." Elayna turned her head to look at Matthew, who was looking at them with an expression that said to get on with it. She shot him a murderous stare and looked back at Guy. "I promise I won't hold it against you." They then both leaned forward at the same time, until their lips met. They remained like this for about three seconds, and when they split apart, barely a sound could be heard.

Elayna looked around and saw that everyone was currently staring at them. Hector and Eliwood had their mouths open, while the others were simply looking at them with surprise. Matthew broke the silence by whistling wolfishly. "Nice one, Guy. I didn't think you had it in you."

"You gave me your word, thief."

"Don't worry, I'll drop one of those favors, just like I said."

"By the way, Matthew," Elayna spoke up. "If I hear so much as a rumor that you've told Serra, I will assign you as her personal bodyguard until the very end of this campaign. Understood?"

"Loud and clear."

The others looked at each other awkwardly and began to return to normal. "Thanks," Guy muttered.

"You're welcome… I think I'll just go back and get some sleep now. See you tomorrow." That said, Elayna got up and made her way to her tent. Grace snorted as she passed by. "Oh, hush up. What do you know about it?" she said, before going in, sorting out her things and falling asleep on her bedroll.

* * *

The following morning, everyone woke up relatively early. Then, after taking the time to eat, pack up their tents and break camp, they were continuing the march towards Laus again. As the group moved forth, they happened upon a small village with a seemingly glum mood hanging around, similar to other places where soldiers had forcibly recruited any able bodied men they could get their hands on. Finally, some time before midday, they came within sight of Castle Laus.

The terrain between the castle and where the group was stationed was mostly flat, plain land, until it reached a good sized river that cut across and went on to empty itself into the sea. The river had two long bridges that gave access to the plains around the castle. The one closest to the river's mouth was simpler and made of wood, while another not too far up was built with stone. The group stopped on the eastern side and waited as Matthew went across to the northern of two villages.

* * *

In the meanwhile, within the confines of Castle Laus, the Marquess, a man with purple hair, a large round nose and wearing yellow plate armor was sitting on his throne, with his son Erik delivering a report. "Are you sure of this?" he asked. "Pherae's heir is here?"

"Yes, father," the younger man answered. "We've just received word from our lookouts. He's stationed on the other side of the river for now, but he'll be here before long."

"Lord Ephidel," the Marquess spoke to a mysterious cloaked figure standing nearby. "What is the meaning of this? How could he know to come here?"

"It is always possible that Lord Helman was still alive when they reached Santaruz Castle."

"You can't be serious!"

"He couldn't possibly have lasted too long. But… he may yet have told them something."

"This is terrible! Our plan will be ruined because of this!"

"There's no need to be alarmed, my lord," the figure spoke reassuringly. "Even if he told Eliwood something about our schemes, Pherae is only a small canton with no real power left. The only thing he could really do is try to inform Marquess Ostia."

"Ostia! That's not good! Lord Uther may be young and new to the throne, but he's dangerous!" He slammed a fist on the arm of his throne in anger. "That witless Helman! Coward to the very end! He'd betray us now… when we're so close. We only need a little bit more time to complete our plans for rebellion!"

"Then, before Marquess Ostia hears anything about this, you would do well to stop them here and now."

"Of course, you're right. We still have a chance! They can't reach Ostia without going through here. We can still silence them!"

"They must not past," the figure reminded him. "Not one of them. No matter the cost."

"Then let's make haste. Call up our best troops."

"Father!" Erik spoke up. "Please, let me to take command."

"Tell me, Son, can you succeed?"

"Yes. That clod Eliwood and I studied together in Ostia. He's a naïve, trusting fool. When he sees me, he'll lower his guard. And when he does, we strike!"

"I beg your pardon…" the cloaked person spoke up. "But, isn't this too much for him? Eliwood and his friends have managed to emerge victorious more than once against superior odds. If, by strange, your son fell, things could take a turn for the worse."

"No, I know I'm his father, but Erik is quite clever. Eliminating Pherae's whelp won't be a problem for him." The mystery individual simply nodded in response. "Everything's settled then! Erik, it's up to you now. Bring be the head of Pherae's beloved son!"

"Yes, father! I'll have it on a silver platter in no time. I will not fail you!"

* * *

At the moment, Elayna was scanning the terrain all around them with her looking glass, while Eliwood and Hector were standing nearly and talking to each other. "Just one look at this place says it all," the Ostian lord spoke up. "They really are preparing for battle. The villages should be prospering instead of losing able bodied men to the draft."

"Marquess Laus," Eliwood muttered under his breath. "What's he up to?"

"You don't look like you want to go to the castle," Hector remarked.

"If we go and learn the truth, we may yet have to go to war."

"That's fine with me!"

'"I… I've no love of war. If I concentrate on the foe before me, I'm fine. But, if I picture families torn apart, innocents caught up in our foolish politics? If I imagine them… All I can do is pray for a way to solve things peacefully."

Hearing this, Elayna was about to add a comment, but stopped herself when she saw something through her looking glass. "A knight's coming towards us from the castle," she said.

"A lone knight?" Eliwood asked.

"Yes. He's wearing gilded armor with what I'm guessing is the Laus seal. Also, he's riding a brown horse, has short brown hair and a big nose."

"That must be Marquess Laus' son, Erik," Marcus said.

"Gah! Why did it have to be that buffoon?" Hector cursed.

Elayna put away her looking glass and glanced at the blue haired youth. "Hmm?"

"I'm leaving. I could never abide that pompous idiot. I'll go look for a walk and check out our surroundings."

"Can you go with Oswin to look out for any traces of ambush? I've got a feeling that Laus may be in a hostile mood."

"Will do," Hector said as he went off.

"We should meet with him on the other side," Elayna suggested. Eliwood and Elayna walked across the stone bridge and stood at the other side. "What do you know about Erik?"

"Well, we studied together in Ostia years ago. We got along reasonably well, even if we were never great friends. To be honest, he tends to look down on certain other people and seems… a bit full of himself."

"I see…"

The two of them waited in silence for a while, until Erik arrived and came to a halt before them. He looked at Elayna a brief moment and sneered. "Hello, Eliwood!" he said, acting overly friendly as he dismounted. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Erik… What is your business?" Eliwood asked.

"My business? What do you mean? I just heard that my old friend was here in Laus and thought that I'd ride out to greet you." Eliwood remained silent at this, finding his behavior to be strange. "So… what brings you to Laus, my friend? Are you on your way to Ostia?"

'What a joke,' Elayna thought to herself. 'If it were any more obvious that there was something going on, he'd have it painted over his face.'

"Now why would you think that?"

"Well, you were always such good friends with Hector. He and I never… got along very well. For a noble, his behavior was crude, and his manner of speech… You would have thought him a commoner at first glance."

"Do you have a problem with commoners?" Elayna asked.

Erik looked at the young woman with a haughty expression. "And you are?"

"Elayna," she said casually. "Merely a wandering tactician currently in Lord Eliwood's service."

"So… you are still friends with Hector, right?" the Laus lordling said to Eliwood. "When did you see him last?"

"Erik," Eliwood began. "You and your father are up to something. Everywhere I look, Laus is preparing for battle."

"Pardon? There's no reason to think such a thing."

"I will know the truth of this!" Eliwood said.

"I was hoping to wait until you'd told me about Ostia," Erik mumbled. "Of whether you've spoken with the marquess or not."

"What are you talking about?" the Pherean lord demanded.

"Eliwood, I've always despised you. How I've longed to smash you and your pathetic morality to pieces."

"I'd advise you to keep your hands away from that knife hidden under your belt," Elayna warned him, a dagger held in her hand and ready to throw. "Lord Erik," she added with contempt.

The Laus lord took a step back, surprised that she knew about his concealed weapon. But even so, arrogance was not completely wiped off his face. "I've dreamed about this day for a long time," he continued, though eyeing Elayna and her dagger. "And here it is at last!"

"Too bad you're not going to live to see the end of it," Hector said as he came into view, axe at the ready.

"Y-you!" Erik stuttered. "Hector! You couldn't… Have you spoken with Ostia already?"

"Maybe we have, maybe we haven't. Elayna, you were right. This mongrel has troops lying in ambush all around us. Laus regulars, all of them. We're in for a rough time."

"Heh heh heh…" Erik gloated. "There's no use in fighting. We've got an unending torrent of soldiers and our elite knights are ready to crush you. How long do you think you can survive?"

"You craven cur!" Hector cursed, hefting his axe.

"Hector, hold!" Eliwood urged. "He may have come to us with ill intentions, but we shouldn't lower ourselves to his level."

"Wise words, Eliwood," Elayna said, sheathing her dagger. "I suggest you mount up and get out of here, Lord Erik. We'll see you on the battlefield, but we won't be fighting you now." The Laus lordling hastily climbed up on his horse and galloped away.

The two lords and the tactician then turned around and walked back across the bridge. That done, everyone bunched together to prepare for the upcoming battle. Elayna quickly drew a rough sketch of the surroundings and had Hector and Oswin point out which places enemies had been spotted and in what numbers. As they were doing so, Matthew's voice sprung up. "Hey everyone! Look who I found!"

The group looked in the direction of the spy's voice and saw him accompanied by none other than the purple haired mage, Erk. "ERKYYY!" Serra shouted out with glee.

"Not her," he groaned.

"I'm so glad to see you again!"

"Serra, catching up will have to wait," Elayna said sternly. "Erk, we're going to engage Laus before long. Can you help us?"

"Yes. However, I do have one request. My employer is hiding in a village south of here. Help me protect her, and I'll join you."

"Done. Lowen, do we still have the cooking oil from this morning?"

"Yes we do."

"Matthew… that mine prototype you picked up in Santaruz, is it at hand?"

"Yeah."

"Merlinus, we're going to need rope and cloth."

"Very well." The three named people hurried to get the things required.

"Elayna?" Hector spoke up, apparently confused. "I don't get it. What're you thinking?"

"We've got enemies coming after us. You'll see soon enough."

* * *

At Erik's orders, thirty cavaliers were advancing towards the bridges, with a knight by the name of Galen riding at their head. When they arrived within range, they could see a mage facing the stone bridge, while accompanied by a pair of knights. In front of the wooden bridge, was a heavily armored foot knight standing next to another person also wearing thick armor. Along with them, were two axe wielders, a swordsman, a woman in white and an archer.

"Ha! What a pathetic bunch!" Galen said as he saw the troops arrayed before them. "We'll crush them beneath our feet. Marek, take your men across the upper bridge. The rest of you, follow me."

With that said, twelve riders split apart from the rest of the group to attempt to cross the stone bridge, while the commander took the rest of his men to engage the larger force by going across the wooden bridge. The smaller group of cavaliers piled onto the stone bridge in ranks of two, confident that they could eliminate the paltry defense before them and sweep around the others. But, before the first ones got too close to the end, Erk shot out a fire spell a few feet in front of him. This struck the end of a rope, which, lathered in oil, caught fire quickly, the flames zooming across until it reached the underside of the bridge.

The reason for this action, was that the mine had been wrapped in cloth, which was also covered in leftover cooking oil, and tied to the bottom of the bridge, with an end of the rope trailing behind. So that when the flames reached the device, it exploded in an impressive manner, collapsing the bridge and sending most of the cavaliers plummeting into the river below. And although the first two just managed to reach the other side, they were quickly dispatched by a coordinated effort from Lowen and Marcus.

Just before this happened, Galen's company was charging across the small wooden bridge towards Eliwood and the others. Overly confident that he and his men would have an easy time, he urged his horse forward and was the first to make contact their adversaries. He tried to stab at Oswin with his lance, but the Ostian knight stepped to the side and deflected the blow off his shield. He then stabbed his own lance into the ground, tripping Galen's horse and causing its rider to be thrown over and unceremoniously dumped onto the ground. He barely had the time to hear the second bridge's explosion, and wonder what had happened, before Bartre's axe came down on his neck.

* * *

During the skirmish, Eliwood ducked underneath a sword swung at him, then lunged at its owner and stabbed with his rapier, the thin blade sneaking its way into a slit in the armor, effectively ending the man's life. Another of riders died when Rebecca fired an arrow that lodged itself in the first's throat and a fireball hit the second. A hand axe thrown by Dorcas instantly killed one of the remaining cavaliers, and then the one behind him was treated to Hector's axe which swung upward and caught him in the midsection.

The Laus soldiers continued to attempt to press forward despite their losses, but, unfortunately for them, they were unaware that not all of the group's members were on the same side of the bridges. Elayna, Matthew and Guy had been hiding from the cavaliers, Guy with Elayna's cloak over him, waiting until they were onto the bridge before joining in. After the mine went off and they knew their enemies were past, they rose from the ground and made their way towards them without being seen.

As the cavaliers were rather occupied with Eliwood and the others, half a dozen were killed in the small surprise attack, before they noticed that something was wrong. Though confused, the six remaining soldiers fought on, but all ended up dead.

* * *

Despite how well the battle had been planned out, the lords and their allies sustained injuries nevertheless. The group patched themselves up as Serra went amongst them, taking care of their wounds. "I really should stop doubting your skills when you start spouting strange plans," Hector said. "But, hey, if they work, make them as strange as you want."

"You know…" Eliwood spoke up. "I hadn't quite expected you to take part in the battle yourself."

Elayna shrugged her shoulders at this. "I read a quote once that said 'A general who casts away his baton and takes up a sword becomes a common soldier.' But then again, I wasn't a general to begin with."

"What's the next plan of action?" Oswin asked. "We may have stopped them here, but there are still more soldiers remaining."

Elayna pulled out her journal and quickly wrote down a few things on a blank page. "Hector, Oswin," she said as she was writing. "Go with Erk to the village where his employer is hiding. With the instability around here, there may be pirates who'd be tempted to go raiding. Merlinus, follow after them." She then pulled the page out of her journal folded it and passed it to Oswin. "When you're done, follow these orders." The three armored men then marched off after Erk who lead the way. "Everyone else, here's what we're doing."

* * *

"Sir!" A Laus soldier came running up to Erik who was idly standing beside his horse. Him, a dozen cavalry and three times as many infantry were waiting at the foot of the castle. "Lord Erik!" he panted, coming to a stop in front the Marquess' son.

"What is it? What about Eliwood and his friend, Hector? Has Galen finished dealing with them yet? I want Eliwood's head brought to me."

"There might be a problem with that. Galen's unit was wiped out to the last man."

"WHAT!" Erik shouted. "How did this happen!"

"I don't know, sir! There were bodies around the bridges, but all were Galen's men. We turned around to go back, but were ambushed halfway. Only I managed to get away, the others were decimated."

"My lord!" a second Laus soldier cried out as he came running, a bloody gash on his cheek. "The northern patrol was just ambushed not long ago!"

"Blast it! They're stronger than I guessed. You two!" he pointed to the soldiers who'd just reported. "Get inside and find me reinforcements."

"Yes sir!" the men saluted and went to do as told. "Greyson, take half the infantry, a quarter of the cavalry and sweep across the north end. Mandrake, take as many and do the same across the plains. Find the enemy and when you do, hold them long enough for the rest of us to arrive and crush them."

* * *

In the coastal village at the south end, a young red headed girl was standing in a stable, brushing her horse's coat. The girl in question had deep emerald eyes and wore a fine white and green dress, split so as to be convenient for riding. After deciding that her four legged companion was sufficiently groomed, she picked up a healing staff lying against the wall and walked outside. A kindly middle aged man dressed in plain clothing approached her as she came out. "Priscilla," he spoke up. "Your escort has not yet returned?"

She shook her head in response. "No. He left yesterday, saying that he was going to look for a way out of here. I can only hope that Laus' soldiers haven't taken him prisoner for any reason."

"I doubt his search for help was fruitful," the man said dismayed. "Marquess Laus ordered that you be given no aid. I'm afraid that there's little any of us can do. I apologize, but…"

"No, there is no need. "You could have turned me over to the marquess already, but you continue to grant me asylum. I am grateful for this. Of course, if I simply went to the castle, this would all be over."

"Don't fret about that," he reassured her. "None of us have much love for the marquess anyway. He always threatens us, treats us like slaves. And all these war preparations? We may be divided into territories, but we're Lycians one and all."

A young boy, no more than ten years old came running to the pair. "Lady Priscilla, someone's asking to see you. There are three men at the entrance, but they're saying the marquess didn't send them."

The young girl went over to the village gates and saw three men standing victorious amongst twice as many pirate corpses. Two of them were heavily armored, one with an axe, the other's weapon being a lance, and the third she recognized, with his red cloak and purple hair. "Erk?"

"Priscilla, are you alright?" the mage in question asked.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Erk," Oswin spoke up after quickly reading Elayna's written orders. "We need to get moving as soon as possible."

"Priscilla, I've met up with some friends who're going to help us."

The red haired girl hurriedly went to fetch her mount, then joined her escort and two friends, now accompanied by Merlinus. "Thank you for your help."

"It's no problem," Hector said. "Just stay back with Merlinus," he pointed to the merchant. "We'll take care of everything."

* * *

"Where the bloody hell are my reinforcements? And why haven't they arrived!" Erik shouted.

"My lord!" One of the cavaliers spoke up.

"What?" The Laus lordling looked in the direction the man pointed at, and saw a small group of people coming towards them, one of which was Hector. Laughing at how fewer they were, he mounted his horse and took up his lance. "I'm going to enjoy this."

"Come on then," the Ostian youth shot back. "I'm waiting."

"Get em!" Erik ordered, then galloped after his enemy, along with the half dozen other cavaliers. But as he was charging, an arrow shot from somewhere off to the side sailed through the air and killed his mount. This caused the rider to fly forward and land unceremoniously on the ground, where he tried to get up, only to have Hector's fist slam into his face and knock him unconscious.

* * *

Later, Elayna, Eliwood and Hector were standing in the castle's throne room, with Erik stripped of his weapons and armor and lying on the floor. Most of the others had taken rooms and were recovering from their fatigue. Serra, Priscilla had been at work, taking care of everyone's worse injuries, while those with less important ones simply patched themselves up using vulneraries.

"Elayna," the Pherean lord spoke up. "I have never seen such skills in tactics."

"Me neither," Hector added. "The battle sure was easy, considering what kind of odds we were up against."

"I've seen people killed before," Elayna said. "Some of them were at my hands, many of them died because of orders I'd given. And still, my favorite battles remain the ones where no blood is spilt." The two lords remained respectfully silent at this, until they noticed that Erik was coming to his senses.

"Come on, Erik!" Hector said as he pulled him to his feet. "Get up!"

"You… You peasants! You can't treat a proper noble like this!"

"We're past the time for niceties! Be grateful you're still alive!"

"You only had a paltry bunch, with a commoner as tactician. How could you have won?"

"Allow me to explain," Elayna spoke up. "While a small group went south to save the village from pirates, the rest of us took out your two patrols and purposefully allowed one man from each to escape. Then we picked off the cavalry from the two new groups you sent out and weaseled our way around the foot. At the same time, the others came up from the south and held your attention, so that the rest of us could hit your flank. A lot of your men were forced into service, and when they got here, too many of them lost heart and didn't want to fight anymore." Erik's face carried a stunned expression as Elayna outlined how they had achieved victory, to which she simply scoffed. "What? Surprised that a mere commoner could come up with such a plan? You broke one of the cardinal rules of tactics: Never underestimate your opponent."

"Erik," Eliwood intruded. "We need to know. Where is your father? We've searched the entire castle and haven't found any trace of him."

"D-don't be ridiculous! My father would never abandon…" the Laus noble trailed off as he thought about it for a moment. "Ephidel."

"Who's that?"

"…"

"Speak, cur!" Hector barked. "Do you want to die here!"

"Hector!" Eliwood reprimanded his friend.

"Calm down. Anger will not help us here," Elayna pointed out.

"Erik…" Eliwood said. "Please, tell us everything you know. I… I just want to know where my father is."

"… Ephidel. He came to the castle about a year ago. After he arrived… my father changed. He'd always been bothered by Ostia's position. He felt that Lycia should be ruled by Laus. But he'd never spoken of rebellion."

"Rebellion?" Hector asked.

"Ephidel had something. With it, he convinced my father to set this plan in motion. My father sent envoys to several other marquesses. Marquess Pherae, he had approved of the idea."

"My father would never do such a thing!" Eliwood said vehemently.

"Believe it or not, that remains your choice. First was Marquess Santaruz, then Marquess Pherae's reply arrived. He visited here six months ago to seal his approval. My father and yours argued that day. Marquess Pherae never trusted Ephidel. He tried to convince my father to send the Black Fang assassins out of Lycia."

"Wait a moment!" Elayna interrupted. "You said the Black Fang?"

"Yes. My father refused to comply, so Marquess Pherae left the castle. After that he disappeared and I doubt he's still alive."

"Shut your mouth!" Hector snapped.

"Eliwood said he wanted to hear everything. My father… he's merely Ephidel's puppet. He'd do anything that villain says. Even watch his son die. Those are the kind of people you're dealing with. Marquess Pherae betrayed them and they wouldn't let him live. Ha ha ha ha-" His laughter was cut short when Hector punched him in the head, knocking him out a second time.

Elayna looked down at Erik with a grim expression. "If he hadn't tried to kill us all, I'd probably feel sorry for him."

"Yeah," Hector agreed. "Abandoned by his own father…" The blue haired lord then noticed that Eliwood had run away from the throne room. "Wait! Eliwood!" he called out.

* * *

Hector found his friend on the castle walls, looking at the horizon. "Eliwood…"

"My father is alive," the Pheraen lord said resolutely as he turned to face him. "And I cannot believe that he supports rebellion. There has to be a reason."

"I know. I don't believe any of this for an instant. My brother trusted Marquess Pherae more than anyone. We'll find your father and discover the truth."

"Hector… I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Your father is surely alive."

"Yes. It's just… Marquess Laus… Black Fang assassins… And now this mysterious Ephidel… No matter! I'll find them all and prove my father's innocence!"

* * *

So, I hope you liked this latest chapter (which was longer than most I usually do for this fic), and please review.


	19. Chapter 17: More Friends, and Enemies

**Disclaimer: ** I simply do not own Fire Emblem. That's it, that's all.

This chapter simply took TOO LONG (even when I actually got to working on it). Anyway, please enjoy.

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Chapter 17: More Friends, and Enemies**

Just two days after the battle against Erik and his troops, Eliwood and everyone else were well installed in the castle. For sleeping arrangements, they were all split into groups of two per room, except for Merlinus who was by himself.. Elayna was currently sitting by a window in the room she shared with Priscilla, who was still asleep in bed. The tactician had her journal propped up on one leg, the early morning sun giving her sufficient light to allow her to read her notes, and write down a few things as she saw fit. Her mind floated back to shortly after Erik had told them about the Black Fang, Ephidel, and his father's involvement in the whole mess.

* * *

"Lord Hector," Oswin called out to his lord's brother, who was just passing by in the hall.

"Oswin! Did Eliwood pass this way?" he asked, stopping before the Ostian knight.

"Lord Eliwood? Yes, he ran through that gate and went outside."

"I see."

"Lord Hector, a moment, if you please," Oswin said, grabbing the blue haired lord's arm before he could run off.

"What is it?"

"My lord… we should return to Ostia immediately. Considering the rumors I've heard… I am afraid that despite his intentions, I cannot approve of helping Eliwood any longer… or Pherae."

Elayna frowned at this, standing in a shadowed corner, out of the two men's' sight. Losing Oswin alone would be bad enough, his skills and heavy armor making him quite a force to be reckoned with. But if a powerhouse like Hector left as well, dragging Matthew and Serra along with him… However, despite Elayna's worries, Hector would not be swayed so easily.

"What do you mean by this?"

"We must think of Ostia's well-being. If Marquess Pherae was involved in a plot for rebellion, then-"

"Oswin," the young lord interrupted, his voice firm and unwavering. "You will take back those words."

"I appreciate your feeling for your friend, but-"

"I know Eliwood's father very well. I'm telling you that he is a man worthy of our trust. You are in my service! Don't you think you should follow my orders? Heed my words, Oswin. You are my brother's vassal. Your duties to guard me come second to this. You've done your duty, now you may return to Ostia."

Silence reigned amongst the two men for a moment, until Oswin spoke up again. "My remarks about Marquess Pherae were improper. I apologize completely," he said, getting down on one knee.

"Oswin, that's enough! You don't need to go this far."

The Ostian knight grabbed his lance from his back and presented it to Hector. "My lord… if you would have it, I would swear my service to you. Please accept my lance as your own, and then return it with your blessings."

"Oswin, you…"

"I am a knight of Ostia, in the service of Lord Uther. And yet… I now wish to give that same service to you. Please grant me this honor."

"Oswin… I am honored that you would put your trust and faith with me," the young lord said, taking the lance held out to him. "I accept your service, and give you my blessing." A small smile crept across Elayna's face as Oswin stood up and took back his lance, bowing to Hector, who then went off to find Eliwood.

"Lady Tactician," Oswin said as the young woman stepped out of the shadows and into his line of sight. "Should I assume that you heard all that?"

"Just call me Elayna. And yes, indeed I did hear enough. While I could understand your reasoning, I hardly would have been pleased to see you leave."

"I apologize… Elayna," Oswin said, bowing his head to her.

"I'm glad that you'll be staying with us, proud knight of Ostia," she replied, returning the bow.

* * *

Elayna looked to Priscilla as her senses fully returned to the present. After the conversation between Hector and Oswin, the young tactician had set her sights towards learning what she could about the newest member of their group. To accomplish this goal, she had first spoken to Erk, and then gone to Priscilla herself, who happily answered all of her questions as best she could. "Let's see…" Elayna muttered, flitting through her journal. "_Priscilla: Kind, level headed, a little naïve and inexperienced, but with potential. Adopted by Etrurian Count Caerlon at young age, though born from former House Cornwell of Lycia. Searching for brother, maybe Lucius' mercenary friend, could influence him to join if contact is made._"

Matthew then gently pushed the door open, poking his head in the room. "Elayna," he spoke quietly, seeing that Priscilla was still asleep. "Can you come out for a moment?"

"Sure, just a second," she said, putting her journal away in her bag, then stepping out into the hallway to join the blond thief. "Well, what is it? Do you have any reports on where Darin and his troops might be headed?"

"Nothing yet, I'm afraid. No one around here seems to know in what direction he's gone, and I've sent word out yesterday to some of Ostia's other spies, but it will take time to track them down. All we can really do for now is just sit still and wait."

"With the number of troops he probably has with him, I think it's a safe bet he won't go anywhere near Ostia, given how strong it is. Pherae is a fair distance, so there's not as much chance he'll go there. Thria and Worde put him closer to Ostia, but they're still a possibility, though Ryerde, Santaruz and Badon are more likely targets."

"What about Caelin?" Matthew suggested. "The… situation last year did no good to its military strength. It may have recovered a little since then, but still…"

"I get your point. See to it that a message is sent to Lord Hausen about the potential threat."

"Will do. And while I'm at it, I don't suppose you'd care for a friendly spar?" Elayna raised an eyebrow in question at this. "A little training couldn't hurt, and I want to see what you can do."

"Okay then. Though I'm a bit surprised you're asking like this, instead of jumping me like you did to Guy."

"I just felt like it," Matthew explained as they walked down the hall to the courtyard outside. Once they got there, they stood face to face, a short distance from one another. "So… shall we?"

"Yes, let's," Elayna said, taking a defensive stance, waiting for the blond thief to make the first move. She didn't have to wait long before Matthew sprang into action, quickly closing the distance between them. Elayna's reflexes kicked in, allowing her to block a punch he threw her way. Matthew kept on the offensive, his hands and feet moving fast, though Elayna's defensive strategy still held on well. After blocking another of her opponent's strikes, the half blond woman suddenly swung her right foot towards Matthew's mid-section, almost catching him off-guard, even if he managed to twist around in time to avoid getting hit.

Not missing a beat, she pivoted and kicked high, which he blocked with a counter kick of his own. After a few more instances of their feet clashing like this, they both jumped back, putting some distance between each other. "Why won't we take things up a notch?" he proposed, drawing a pair of daggers.

"Let's just try to avoid bloodshed," she replied, pulling out the daggers in her sleeves. They both dashed forward at the same time, weapons flashing. They each fought with a certain aggressive and fast style that would likely have most people believe they were fighting to kill. After a while of swinging and thrusting at each other, Elayna managed to kick one of Matthew's daggers out of his hand. However, following this, he managed a quick and precise cut and sliced the hairband that kept her hair in a ponytail. "I think that'll be enough for now," Elayna said as they both came to a halt.

"I suppose," Matthew agreed. "Nice moves, by the way."

"Thank you," Elayna replied, blowing hair out of her face. The two of them then put away their daggers and shook hands. "Now, if you'd be kind enough to return the dagger at my belt, then I'll give you back your purse."

Matthew laughed a little as the mentioned items were returned to their rightful owners. The two of them then started to walk back towards their rooms. Just before Elayna got to hers, she came across the group's Sacaean warrior. "Hey Guy."

"Hey Elayna," he greeted her in return, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He then happened to notice that her hair was falling down loosely, instead of being in a ponytail as it usually was. "Your hair looks nice."

"Oh… thanks," Elayna said, not really expecting the compliment, but still appreciating it. "Want to grab a bite to eat?" Guy was about to give an answer, when Matthew suddenly pushed him so that he fell into Elayna. And although she just managed to prevent the two of them from falling to the floor, the Sacaean youth's face did land in the center of her… chest area.

"S-sorry!" Guy quickly said, removing himself from her as fast as he could, his beet red face showing just how embarrassed he was.

Elayna's face was almost as red from embarrassment as his. The one responsible for all this was already running away, his laughter echoing in the hall. "It's not your fault," she said to Guy. "It's the blasted, bloody, stupid thief's fault!"

"So… how about some food then," Guy suggested.

"Yeah… good idea," Elayna agreed. She then took a moment to go into her room and pulled another hairband out of her bag, with which she tied up her hair in a ponytail again. She then slung her bag around her shoulder, and walked back out with Priscilla, who had just woken up. The three of them walked down the hall to the dining rooms, where a few of the castle's servants brought out some food for them.

Not too long afterwards, the rest of the group came to join them at the tables. As they were all eating, Elayna went to sit with Eliwood and Hector. She pulled out a map of Lycia from her bag and talked with the two lords about where Darin would be headed, like her earlier discussion with Matthew. "What about Caelin?" Hector asked. "It did take a beating from the succession issue last year."

"I know," Elayna said. "I've already spoken about it to Matthew and told him to send Lord Hausen a message to warn him about this. In the meantime, all we can really do is sit still. After all, we won't have many chances to stay in a castle like this."

At that moment, one of the maids came up to the three. "Excuse me, Miss Elayna?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"There are two people at the castle gates who claim to know you."

Most of the group gathered turned their attention towards Elayna at this. "And what do they look like?"

"Well… one is a man dressed like an Elimean monk, and the other appears to be a dark haired, well-armed warrior woman."

"Hmm… bring them here and I'll see for myself."

"Are you sure about this?" Eliwood asked, as the maid turned around to go fetch the two arrivals.

"They sound like some people that I know, but it'd be an idea to wait until I can confirm whether they're really friends of mine or not." As the group was waiting for the maid to come back, Matthew decided to show up, wisely sitting away from Guy and Elayna. And if looks could kill, he would be dead five times over from the way they were glaring at him. Hector happened to notice this, and was about to ask what that was all about. "Don't ask," Elayna said dead seriously, at which the blue haired lord simply kept his mouth shut.

A moment later, and the maid in question returned with the two new arrivals in tow. One was man with wild brown hair, dressed in dark blue robes that made him look like a monk of Elimine, and carried a staff like Serra's. The other, was a tough looking woman with short black hair, wearing pieces of armor on her shoulders, chest, arms and lower legs. She also carried a battle axe, as well as a bow and arrows, along with a couple of hand axes like Dorcas and Bartre. "Elayna!" the monk exclaimed as he saw her. "Elimine's arse, it's good to see you again!" His companion smacked him in the shoulder at this.

"You can relax, they're friends," Elayna said to the group. More than one of them had surprised expressions on their faces, shocked by the monk's behavior. "This is Rena," she said, pointing to the woman. "She's a battle hardened warrior hailing from the Western Isles."

"Pleased to meet you all!" Rena greeted them in a loud voice, saluting with a fist to her armored chest.

"And this is Kenshin, or Kenny as we call him," she indicated the monk. "And if you can possibly wrap your minds around the idea… despite his eating AND drinking habits, not to mention his language… he's actually an Elimean BISHOP! Though I have no idea how he even became a monk in the first place."

"Well met, everyone. And I'm not nearly as bad as she says I am," the apparent bishop defended himself. The rest of the group then proceeded to introduce themselves to Kenshin and Rena, who, after that was done, sat down with everyone for a bite to eat.

"I think I'm going to like that bishop Kenny," Hector said to Elayna. "So, how do you know them anyway?" he asked the tactician.

"Back in Bern, I used to be part of a mercenary band called the Emerald Eagles, along with Rena and Kenny. I was with them a few years, until they disbanded, after which I went to Sacae and met Lyn. In any case, they know how to fight."

"They're certainly a welcome addition to our group," Eliwood said. "Though they may be a bit different, at least they're not nearly as bad as Hector."

"Yeah, they… hey!" Hector spouted indignantly at his friend's words.

* * *

For most of the remaining day, Elayna spent time teaching the group some different hand signals that she might use to communicate silently, with the exception of Kenshin and Rena who already knew them. Most of the group caught on quickly enough, although Hector and Bartre had a little trouble, so Elayna drilled the more important ones into their heads, until she was certain they could remember them. Sometime after all that, Elayna called Eliwood, Hector and Matthew together. "Any word on Darin yet?" the young tactician asked the Ostian spy.

"We're in luck," he answered. "I just received a report that he's headed east. Nothing more specific than that, but at least it helps up narrow things down."

Eliwood nodded at this. "Good, we can head out tomorrow morning."

"I can't wait to get my hands on that slimy traitor," Hector said.

"At least we've got that much. Be ready for a possible attack tonight."

"An attack?" Hector questioned. "From who? And why tonight?"

"I've heard of a band of mercenaries lead by a man named Eubans who're extremely loyal to house Laus," Elayna explained. "It's possible that Darin will use them to try to retake the castle. I'm not sure that they'll attack tonight, but it's better to be prepared, just in case."

"Sound reasoning, Elayna," Eliwood noted. "Myself I've heard that Eubans is reputed for surprise attacks, and lightning swift strikes, so precaution certainly couldn't hurt."

"Well, if that's all then," Hector said, walking away when no one spoke up.

Elayna grabbed Matthew's sleeve before he could run off, pulling him close enough to whisper in his ear. "If you pull off another trick on me like you did earlier, I'll kick you so hard in that one place all men feel pain that you won't ever be able to have children."

"Now, now, no need to be so violent," he whispered back with a bit of a smirk. "And besides, I'm sure you liked it more than you let on."

"Don't push your luck. Now get lost, mangy Ostian spy." Matthew then slipped away, laughing to himself at Elayna being so riled up.

* * *

"So, the knights move like this, you say?" Elayna asked Eliwood, who was sitting opposite her, a table with a chess board between the two. The red headed noble was currently showing her how the different pieces were moved.

"That's right," he nodded.

"Good. I think I've got it all now," Elayna muttered, her mind already making strategies. They started to play a game just after, in which they seemed to be equal for the most part, until Elayna lost a knight to Eliwood's queen, and then a rook. "Oh no, how careless of me."

"Perhaps you're just making beginner's mistakes," her opponent suggested politely.

"Perhaps… either that or I just wanted to distract you." Elayna then moved her remaining knight forward and right, capturing Eliwood's queen, surprising the young noble. A handful of moves later and Elayna had already won her first game.

"Are you sure that you've never played before?"

"Maybe in a past life," she answered. "But never in this one."

"In any case, that was a good game," he congratulated her. "For battle or chess, your mind is an incredible weapon."

"Thank you." Hector then happened to walk in the room, at which a smirk appeared on Elayna's face. "You wouldn't happen to care for a game of chess, Lord Hector?" she asked innocently.

"Meh, not really," he said dismissively.

"I'll bet you ten gold that you don't have a chance against me," she taunted him. "But I can understand that you'd be afraid to try yourself at an intellectual game against a far superior mind like my own."

"Eliwood, get out of the chair," he said. The red haired lord complied, smiling in amusement at his friend having been provoked so easily.

To Hector's surprise, they hardly played for five minutes, until… "Checkmate," Elayna declared, with a tone of smug satisfaction. "I'll collect my wager now, if you please." Grumbling incredulously, Hector pulled ten gold coins out of a purse and gave them to Elayna.

Someone then knocked at the door, at which they were told to come in. One of the castle's maids entered, carrying a small bundle of clothes in her arms. "Miss Elayna? The clothes you requested to be made are finished now."

"Thank you, Estelle. Would you take them to my room, please?" Elayna kindly asked, giving her one of the coins she'd just won from Hector.

"Yes, my lady." She then turned around and walked away towards Elayna and Priscilla's room.

"What was that about?" Hector inquired.

"Nothing much," she said. "I just spoke with one of the seamstresses earlier and asked to get a new outfit."

Hector was about to ask for what reason she wanted a new outfit, when Matthew came barging into the room. "We're under attack!"

Elayna and the two lords instantly got to their feet at this. "Get everyone up and into the throne room!" the tactician told Eliwood and Hector, before turning her attention towards Matthew. "What kind of troops? How many? How far did they get?"

Matthew took a second to catch his breath before answering as they made their way towards the throne room. "They look like mercenaries, maybe the ones we talked about. They're fast, coordinated and they'll reach us soon. Leader's a nomad with a longbow, they've got two score, three heavy armor knights, a few archers and mages and no cavalry or fliers."

The two of them soon barged into the throne room, where the rest of the group, equipped and ready for battle, joined them in short order. "The enemy's close!" Rebecca said as she ran in. "They're in the castle and heading right here."

"Everyone listen up!" Elayna spoke loudly. "Rena, Kenny, Dorcas, Matthew, Guy, you're with me. If the enemy leader's half smart, he'll send a force to catch us from behind, so we'll intercept and hopefully outflank their main force. Oswin, Hector, Marcus, block the entrance. Everyone not mentioned, stay back and support them!"

Elayna and her little team moved out through a passageway in the back which she had discovered earlier, while those that stayed behind positioned themselves as per their orders. They crept along as quietly as they could, until they emerged into a hallway. The tactician signalled for Matthew to move ahead upon hearing incoming units from around the corner. The thief silently crept forward and peeked around the corner. "Ten closing in," he whispered to Elayna. "One armor, one archer, and rest are mixed fighters."

"Kenny, at my signal, run out, do a flash spell then hit the armor," Elayna spoke just loud enough for them to hear. "Rena, shoot the archer, and the rest of you charge in." Gripping his staff in both hands, Kenshin waited near the corner, until Elayna gave him her signal, at which he ran out and shot a light spell. And although it caused no damage, the spell was bright enough to accomplish its goal of blinding and disorienting the enemy. Immediately after the flash of light, the rest of them moved out, with Rena releasing the arrow she had drawn, nailing the archer in the chest.

As the group was charging, Kenshin shot a light spell at the heavily armored knight, this one with the intent of being more powerful and less flashy. And like most units of his kind, the knight was not particularly resistant to magic, which was proven when the spell hit him hard, leaving him vulnerable to be cut down by Dorcas' axe. The fighter next to him was set upon by Guy, who side-stepped a wide swing, then sliced his stomach open. The Sacaean swordsman then spun around and blocked a sword aimed at him, after which the enemy responsible perished when Matthew stabbed him in the back.

Another swordsman charged at Rena, who deflected the blow with the bracer on her left arm. She then lashed out with a powerful right hook that knocked the man down and pulled out a hand axe from her belt, ending his life with one quick stroke. The last enemy remaining, a bulky axe-man, died when Dorcas sunk his weapon into his chest. "Is everyone alright?" Elayna asked.

"Few scratches, nothing serious," Dorcas said.

"Good. Rena, Dorcas, up front with Kenshin and ready range weapons. Matthew, Guy, hold back until further notice." The small team moved down the hallway until they came upon a horse archer in the distance, who released an arrow at them, though they all managed to dodge it. "Shoot!" Elayna ordered, at which there was a flash of light, the twang of a bow and a hand axe flying forward. Faced with this, the nomad jumped off his horse, which was killed instantly, only to be set upon by Matthew and Guy. A dagger thrown by the Ostian spy imbedded itself in his forearm before he could reach the sword at his side, followed by Guy slicing off his head.

That done, they all ran to the main entrance to the throne room. There they found a pile of bodies, none of which belonged to their friends, and the enemy which was still being held at bay by said friends. Dorcas, Rena, Kenshin and Matthew let off a small barrage of ranged attacks then charged their foes, joined by a push from the throne room's defenders. They continued their pursuit until none of them were left, whether dead or driven from the castle.

* * *

"Well, glad that's over!" Hector exclaimed once they were done.

"All enemies still alive have fled entirely," Oswin spoke up. "It must not have been their intention to retake the castle."

"Still, this was a fierce fight all the same," Eliwood commented. "Thank Elimine for your foresight and strategy, Elayna."

"And everyone's determination and skills," she added. "Anyway, let's get some rest and leave the servants to clean up this mess. And Matthew…" the brunette Ostian spy approached at her beckoning. "Loot the dead for valuables," she told him quietly. "But don't let Eliwood see you doing it." He gave her a small nod in return, at which she went off to her room, where she fell asleep soon after.

* * *

The following day found the lords waiting with some impatience for news about Darin's whereabouts, and in the meantime, others in the group were preparing themselves, which involved 'acquiring' certain items from the vaults and armory of Castle Laus. These items included some of the better and less gaudy of the castle's weapons, and a few gems of value, though they left the gold in place so that it could be used to serve the neglected people of Laus. They also pulled out a set of sturdy armor just like that which Rena wore, and outfitted Dorcas which such, making the Bernese axe-fighter an even more imposing sight to behold. He was also equipped with a strong bow and arrows, and although by no means was he a master marksman, Rena and Rebecca intended to help him learn.

They also uncovered a sturdy helm and a particularly tough shield, which was given to Oswin. And with Kenshin's magical talents, they found a small crest shaped like a blue shield, that when it was placed on the Ostian knight's armor, produced a burst of odd energy. After it had settled down, Oswin's armor had changed to be even harder, with the crest fully engraved in it. Also, Hector had been given a pendant to wear around his neck, to improve on his poor resistance to magic.

As for Elayna, the young woman had taken advantage of the luxuries in the castle and had a nice warm bath. Thanks to one of the maids, she'd had her hair cut to a few inches in length, and then dismissed her so she could dress herself in her new outfit. When she was finished, Elayna was wearing a man's shirt, pants and coat, all of which were a light shade of green, along with her old cloak and boots. She now had a dagger on her belt at each side and behind her back, but also had one hidden in each boot, up both sleeves and another hanging between her shoulder blades, not to mention the lock pick wires and smokestones she still had on her person. In general, she seemed tomboyish, although her clothes hugged her body just enough to point out her curves.

That done, the tactician walked out into the hallway, heading towards Eliwood and Hector's room. On her way, she crossed Guy, giving him a greeting which he returned. "So, what do you think?" she asked.

"Like your new look," he commented.

"Thanks, Guy," she said, smiling a little. "Now I have a better range of movement, and my hair won't get in the way if I have to fight. I got the idea after a practice fight with Matthew yesterday."

"You fought with Matthew? How'd that work out?"

"It finished in a draw. He may have a few tricks up his sleeve…" Elayna then dropped a knife from her sleeve into her hand, giving it a little flourish before making it disappear again. "But so do I. Don't worry though," she added, patting him on the cheek. "If I ever decide to jump you, I'll let you know beforehand." Leaving him surprised at her behavior, she continued walking until she arrived at Hector and Eliwood's room, where the two lords were currently discussing things. "I hope I'm not interrupting," she spoke up upon entering the room.

"Elayna," Hector said, surprised at her appearance. "You look different."

"So I've heard. Any new word for Darin's whereabouts?"

"No," Eliwood answered. "I doubt he's left Lycia yet but… it's been three days. The death of Marquess Santaruz, our attack on Castle Laus, word of these things must have reached Lord Uther by now, and yet he shows no sign of action. Why?" he asked, directing his question at Hector.

"He probably has his reasons," the blue haired lord said. "And besides, he has other concerns to keep his hands full right now."

"What do you mean?" Eliwood asked.

"We've received reports that King Desmond's been behaving oddly over the past few months. We believe he'll invade with all of Bern's might behind him if he sees even a crack in Lycia's defenses."

"That's not hard to believe," Elayna commented. "Since most people favor Prince Zephiel over his father, Desmond would probably jump at the chance to invade Lycia. Even if for nothing more than to put the people on his side. And if he did that, Etruria would likely get involved, and everything would degenerate into one huge bloodbath."

"That's a scary thought," the Ostian noble said. "And my brother's only just become marquess, as well as head of the Lycian league, so he can't afford to let another country see weakness or discord."

"He has to present the face of stability and strength, is that it?" Eliwood wondered.

"Yeah. It seems every country has a spy working in Ostia these days." He gave Elayna a side glance, which did not escape the ever perceptive woman. "They all want to judge the new marquess' temperament and skill. If they sense anything wrong, word of it will spread fast."

"Hector, as the marquess' brother… wouldn't you not being at his side be seen be seen as something wrong?"

"The marquess' brother is a well-known lout," Hector said with a bit of a frown. "If I WERE at court, then they'd sense that something was wrong."

"You're not too proud of that reputation, are you?"

"Not in the least."

Elayna was about to comment on this, when Marcus suddenly came barging in the room. "Lord Eliwood, Lord Hector, Elayna!"

"What is it, Marcus? What's wrong?" Eliwood asked.

"My lord, a messenger just came in from the east. Marquess Laus and his troops have attacked and taken control of Castle Caelin!"

"What about Lyn and her grandfather?"

"There's no word on Lord Hausen, or his granddaughter, the lady Lyndis. What should we do?"

"We go after them," Elayna butt in, her tone serious. "If there's even a chance that they're still alive, then we have to go help them. Get everyone ready, we're leaving for Caelin."

* * *

Thank you all for reading, and reviews would be greatly appreciated. Next update might take a while, but definately not as long as this one.

Also, if you have any questions or suggestions, go right ahead.


	20. Chapter 18: Siege at Caelin

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem.**

Okay, first off, I can't believe it took me so long to finish this *&%$#! chapter. I seriously should've been able to post it like four months ago!

Anyway, here it is, and I'm really sorry it took so freaking long, even when I actually started working on it.

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Chapter 18: Siege at Caelin**

Having learned that the treacherous Marquess Darin of Laus had invaded Caelin, the lords and their company had gathered whatever was essential and left the castle in a hurry. And with a day and a half of forced march behind them, the group was almost on the doorsteps of Castle Caelin. However, the pace that had been set left more than a few of them weary, therefore requiring them to stop late at night and set up camp. Nevertheless, their victories against Darin's troops and Eubans' mercenaries helped keep morale high, even tired as everyone might be.

At the moment, it was nearly midnight, and silence reigned in the mass of tents that made up the company's camp. Most of their people were asleep and on the path to regaining their energy, with few exceptions, one of them being Elayna. The young woman in question was sitting on a chair in her tent, with a map of the area surrounding Castle Caelin that was stretched out on the table before her, studying it intently. Her attention remained focussed on this particular piece of parchment, even when someone opened the flap to her tent and stepped inside. "I'd have thought you'd already be lying down and asleep by this time, Kenny," Elayna spoke, not bothering to look up.

"How did you know it was me?" the unconventional bishop asked as he grabbed the second chair and sat down. Elayna raised her head and gave him a look suggesting the answer to his question should have been obvious. "Of course, silly of me to ask. So, why aren't you sleeping at this time of night?"

"I'm studying a map of Caelin," Elayna answered. "I want us to be as prepared as we can for the battle tomorrow. Which is why I insisted we not march any further tonight, otherwise everyone would be more tired than I'd care for."

"You must be worried about Lady Lyndis," Kenshin noted, at which she nodded. "You know, if you're really worried about your friends in Caelin, you should think about getting some sleep so that you'll be in good shape tomorrow. After all, like the rest of us, you are but human."

"I'm well aware of that. But I do have a grasp of what my limits and abilities are."

"Of course you do. I just wanted to state my concerns."

"Very well, I'll go to sleep after you answer one question. How did you and Rena know to look for me at Castle Laus?"

"We'd heard about the battle that happened two days before, and with the rumors surrounding it , we thought it highly probable that you were involved."

"I see," Elayna muttered, satisfied to have her curiosity fulfilled. "Well, if you'd be so kind as to leave, then I'll take your advice and try to sleep so as not to be dead on my feet in the morning."

"As you command, your majesty," Kenshin said, standing up. He then gave Elayna a mock bow, causing her to roll her eyes in amusement, then walked out of the tent.

* * *

The morning of the following day, found Lyn, Kent, Sain, Florina and their mounts quietly sitting in the woods south of Castle Caelin while waiting for Wil to return. "Lady Lyndis," Kent spoke up, noticing his liege lady's agitated state. "I know you wish to save Lord Hausen, as do I, but we barely escaped the castle. Rushing out to meet an enemy who outnumbers us so badly is hardly the best plan for mounting a rescue."

"My grandfather is still in the castle," Lyn said, a hard look on her face. "I may have fled on his orders, but I refuse to leave him in their clutches."

"Milady, please," Sain pleaded. "I know your grandfather is still being held by those vile soldiers of Laus, but we must remain calm and think things through. We have no real plan of attack, nor do we have any manner of reinforcements. If we fall, there will be no one left to save Marquess Hausen. We must at least wait until Wil returns, hopefully with some manner of information."

A short moment later, Will made his way through the trees and brush. "I have information, and I managed to gather a handful of reinforcements," the young man declared as he arrived before the small group. Just as he said this, a dozen armed militiamen made their appearance, led by a rough looking gray haired man who appeared to be their leader.

"Lady Lyndis," the militia captain said, bowing his head. "My apologies, but these are all the men we could bring together before those Laus bastards forced us to hide."

"No need to apologize," she replied, turning her attention to Wil. "Well?"

"Other than the fact that the enemy's been threatening the villagers, from what I gathered, they have at least three score of soldiers spread out around the castle, maybe more," he answered. "They've also fortified their position with a ballista platform, and I wouldn't ignore the possibility of reinforcements, not counting the soldiers currently occupying the castle."

"Even without the ballista, they have more than three times our numbers," Sain noted. "I don't suppose we could count on any other manner of reinforcements?"

"I did happen to overhear an interesting tidbit from some of the Laus Soldiers," Wil added. "They say Lord Eliwood invaded Laus and drove them out. Interestingly enough, he did it without suffering so much as a single casualty."

"Eliwood in Laus," Lyn said, her mind mulling over this piece of news. "If we could send word to him, with his help, we could defeat the soldiers standing between us and the castle."

"I'll go!" Florina piped up. "With Huey, I can fly over any terrain that would be difficult on foot and find Lord Eliwood faster than anyone else."

"You can't, it's too dangerous!" Lyn exclaimed.

"I can do it!" she squeaked. She then raised her head, looking Lyn directly in the eye, trying to look as determined as possible. "I'm a full-fledged Pegasus knight and I must do my duty to help Lord Hausen. Besides, I've met Lord Eliwood before, so it shouldn't be too hard."

"Are you sure about this? It will be very dangerous."

"I know, but… I promised myself I would be brave for you. I'm not the weak little girl I used to be."

"Alright Florina, it's up to you. But promise me you won't try anything impossible."

"Yes, my lady," Florina said. She then mounted onto her Pegasus and flew off into the sky.

* * *

"We're finally here," Eliwood declared as the group reached a cliff overlooking the valley that lay before Castle Caelin. Various guard posts currently occupied by Laus soldiers were peppered throughout the valley, along with many patches of forest. The land itself showed signs of Laus' army having had its way, including a column of smoke rising from the village centered in the valley, and the banners that had been torn down from Castle Caelin and replaced with Darin's standard. Upon coming to a stop, Elayna slid off of Grace's back, pulled out her spyglass and started examining the terrain that lay before them, muttering a few words to herself as she noticed certain things.

"Does anyone know where Matthew is?" Hector asked no one in particular. "Or why I haven't seen him since last night for that matter?"

"Try looking behind you," Elayna suggested, not taking her attention away from her current task.

A confused expression on his face, the blue haired lord turned around to see Matthew, who was sporting a bit of a grin. "Gah!" Hector cried out in surprise. "Where in Elimine's name have you been?"

"Our tactician requested that I scout ahead under cover of darkness last night," he answered. "Of course, that is why I was resting during most of our march beforehand."

"Well then, what's the situation?"

"Darin's troops on the field number at close to seventy, and they have a ballista platform. I have no news of Lady Lyndis' whereabouts, but I believe she and her retainers managed to escape before the castle was overrun."

"What of the enemy's status?" Eliwood asked.

"Regular infantry for the most part, with some archers and a handful of cavalry. The commander's an armored knight named Bauker, he has no less than a score of soldiers alongside him stationed at the castle gates, which, as it happens, are still fully operational. The ballista is well guarded, but they're still spread thin and don't have enough men to cover all the area."

"Enemy archers are advancing," Elayna spoke up. "They're aiming at something up high… a Pegasus Knight. Florina!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening with recognition and surprise. She then instantly snapped her spyglass shut and cupped her hands around her mouth. "FLORINA!" she shouted as loud as she could. "FLY LOWER!" Unfortunately, after dodging a few arrows, one of them grazed the Pegasus Knight, drawing a red line across her arm, causing her to stumble and fall off Huey's back. "Hector, catch her!"

At Elayna's command, the Ostian lord in question dropped his axe, ran forward and held his arms out, just in time for Florina to drop right into them. And although she was rather small and lightweight, the momentum of her fall was still enough to send both of them tumbling to the ground. The tactician was at Florina's side in an instant, checking her over for injuries, miraculously finding none of any seriousness. "Would you mind getting her off of me?" Hector asked.

Florina's eyes blinked open at the sound of his voice, and upon realizing that she was on top of him, she jumped off and stood on her feet away from him in a flash. "Hector, take two steps back, if your please," Elayna spoke as he was standing up. Though he was confused, Hector moved aside just in time to miss getting trampled by Huey, who landed exactly where he'd been a moment ago.

"Elayna? Lord Eliwood?" Florina said, her eyes widening a little in surprise as she took notice of the brunette/blond woman and Pheraen lord. "Thank Elimine you're here. Lynneedsyourhelpshe'swaitingintheforestsnotfarfr om-"

"Whoa, calm down Florina. Slow down, breathe, and tell us what happened with Lyn and the others." Florina took a deep breath, relaxed a little and started to talk again at a normal rate. She told them about Lyn and the others' location, what information Wil had gleaned from his excursion, and the militiamen that he'd managed to gather. Elayna sprang into action as soon as Florina was finished relaying her story, barking out orders to the group. "If the commander has half a brain, he'll send soldiers to make sure Florina's been brought down. We don't want to engage them in large numbers, so we'll take advantage of this and ambush them here. Merlinus, head straight to the village down south and hide until the battle is over."

"How do you plan on laying out an ambush with the terrain we have here?" Hector asked, waving an arm at their surroundings, which were somewhat sparse, safe for a few bits of forestry, shrubs and bushes, two mounds of dirt just big enough to call small hills, and a single abandoned hut.

"Oh, I think I can come with a few ideas. Now listen well, everyone."

* * *

As Elayna had guessed would happen, the commander of the Laus troops stationed outside the castle had ordered a handful of his men to scour the area where Florina had landed in order to determine if they had successfully brought her down, and kill her if necessary. Therefore, a dozen foot soldiers, two of which were archers with the rest being regular infantry, marched down into the valley, through its many patches of forest, past a small village and on a beaten down road. Eventually they arrived at the area they'd thought to find Florina, but to their surprise, they could see no trace of her. "She can't have simply disappeared, and a Pegasus isn't easy to hide either," the lead soldier said out loud. "You three, search the hut. The rest of you, follow me."

At the command, three soldiers split off from the main group and walked towards the apparently abandoned hut at the same time as the others looked around. One of them gripped the handle for the door, pushed it open, and saw but a faint glimmer of metal as Matthew's dagger sliced through the air and slit his throat. The instant this happened, Eliwood and Guy burst through the door and jumped the other two, catching them by surprise to such an extent that they were practically unable to defend themselves.

Taking aim from behind one of the small hills, Rena and Rebecca let loose their arrows, one of them lodging itself in a soldier's eye, while the other slipped in between the armor at another's right shoulder. At the same time, Erk and Kenshin cast their respective spells, while Lowen and Marcus threw a pair of javelins, and Dorcas and Bartre hurled hand axes. The assault was finalized when two separate clusters of bushes came to life as Hector and Oswin attacked, butchering the last of their enemies in less time than it took to tell.

With that done, everyone emerged fully from their positions, javelins, hand axes and arrows were retrieved and Hector and Oswin brushed off the pieces of their camouflage. "So, now that these ones are dead, do we have a plan for dealing with the rest of them?" Hector asked.

"As it happens, yes. First, strip off his armor," Elayna said, pointing to one of the dead soldiers. "Erk, Matthew, go to the village east of here, disguise yourselves as villagers and act like you've been threatened into bringing supplies to the enemy. When you reach the ballista, Erk will burn or destroy it, and Matthew will provide a distraction, allowing for an escape into the woods."

"Understood," Matthew replied.

"Dorcas, grab the Laus armor and go with Eliwood to the place Florina said Lyn and the others were hiding. Once you get there, follow these instructions," she added, giving the Pheraen lord a piece of rolled up parchment, along with a ragged scarf. "Everyone else, we wait half a candlemark before moving out to engage the enemy. Keep in mind we want to divide and conquer as much as possible."

* * *

Away from the Castle, within walking distance of the many patches of forest that dotted the landscape, lay the ballista platform that had been erected after Laus' invasion. A full dozen soldiers were stationed here, not counting the archer who was manning the ballista. Though none of these men had fought against Eliwood and his friends, word had spread of the crushing defeat Erik had suffered at the hands of enemies who had suffered no casualties. And as such, most of them prayed and hoped that Eliwood's company came nowhere near, for the fear of facing such a terrible foe daunted more than one man's heart. "Hey, someone's coming over here," one of the soldiers pointed out.

Walking towards the ballista platform were two ragged figures coming from the general direction of the village set in the middle of the valley. Both appeared to be men, though neither was of particularly imposing figure, and each of them was carrying a sack on their shoulders, and was dressed in ragged peasant clothing. "You two, what is your business?" the lead soldier asked as they approached.

"You Elimine forsaken bastards demanded we give you supplies, so we're bringing your damned supplies," one of the peasants said angrily.

"Good, you two must be some of the smarter ones, not like that baker who's place we had to set on fire because he refused to cooperate. It's always so much easier when you simply surrender like this."

"Just let us get on our way so we can make our delivery to the castle."

"By all means," one of the soldiers said tauntingly.

As this conversation had been happening, the other man had been muttering a series of words under his breath, chanting softly so that the soldiers couldn't hear him. And just as he was finishing, he dropped his sack and thrust out with his right hand, conjuring a powerful fireball that lit the ballista on fire in an instant, flames also spreading to the archer, who dropped to the ground and rolled over to extinguish them. Most of the Laus soldiers reacted with confusion and panic at this, while a few recognized Erk as the one responsible. However, before they could do anything, Matthew had already dropped his sack and hurled a small handful of smokestones, completely obscuring the surrounding area. With the deed done, Erk and Matthew ran away through the smokescreen, disappearing into the woods before their enemies could see where they had gone.

* * *

A good distance away from the mayhem that Matthew and Erk had sown, Lyn, Kent, Wil, and most of the militiamen were hidden in a patch of forest not too far from their original position. They had managed to avoid being spotted by the Laus soldiers, while successfully ambushing two patrols, even though there had only been three men in each. "Lady Lyndis," Kent spoke up, noticing her agitation. "I know you're still anxious about Lord Hausen, but until Lord Eliwood comes to our aid, our best strategy is to continue engaging the enemy in small numbers as much as possible."

"I know that," Lyn said, sighing in exasperation. "But every minute my grandfather remains in the enemy's clutches is one minute too many. And we don't even know how far away Eliwood is."

As if by coincidence, Sain and the two oldest militiamen, who had been scouting around, made their way through the forestry and arrived before the group again. "Lady Lyndis," Sain spoke up, apparently excited. "You'll never guess who we just found." At that moment, Eliwood stepped into the clearing, followed by Dorcas, who was lugging around the armor from the dead Laus soldier they'd collected.

"Eliwood!" Lyn exclaimed.

"Lyndis," the Pheraen lord greeted her back. "Florina found us just as we were arriving here and told us where you were hiding. We're here to help retake the castle and save your grandfather."

"Thank the spirits. With your strength, we'll be able to defeat those Laus invaders."

"Lord Eliwood," Dorcas spoke up. "We should see what instructions we're to follow."

"Yes, of course," he replied, unfurling the parchment Elayna had given, taking a moment to read it over. "Our tactician has come up with a daring and ingenious plan yet again."

"Who is your tactician?" Lyn asked as Eliwood passed the parchment for her to read.

"Why, she is none other than Elayna herself."

"Elayna's with you?" Wil piped up.

"She must be the reason you had it so easy against Laus," Sain added.

"Yes indeed. She's proven to be a more than valuable asset to our cause," Eliwood said.

Lyn nodded in agreement, having finished reading the parchment. "Which of your men is the right size to wear this armor and reliable enough to mingle amongst the enemy?" she asked the militia captain, pointing to the Laus armor Dorcas had brought. He turned around to look at his men, holding his chin in one hand as he thought about it.

"Calis." A sturdy young man, built big and sturdy, and just a few years short of his prime stepped forward. "Get changed," the captain said. The young man obliged and donned the set of enemy armor as Lyn read the instructions out loud for the others to hear. To his credit, he didn't even flinch when Lyn drew her sword and cut a gash across his forehead, even though it was bad enough to bleed seriously. He then took the scarf Eliwood gave him and tied it around his forehead, wiping the blood running down his face with the back of his hand.

"You understand what you must do?" Lyn asked.

"Yes my lady," the young man replied with determination.

"Good man. Now go."

* * *

The gates leading into Castle Caelin were massive structures of thick wood reinforced by metal and were currently standing open, both halves having been pulled inward by a mechanism controlled by a large wheel within a gatehouse. This ingenious system was of particular use when the gates needed to be closed in a hurry, since it needed only two or three men to operate it, provided they were fit enough. At the moment, just as Matthew had informed the others, the armored knight Bauker was standing guard, accompanied by a full score of Laus soldiers. In his position, Bauker felt quite confident, knowing that if a force showed up that was too large for him and his men to handle, they could simply close the gates before the enemy would reach them.

"Sir…" one of the soldiers spoke up. "What will we do if Lord Eliwood and his band come to Caelin's aid?"

"That pathetic lordling won't be able to come anywhere near the castle," Bauker replied. "Not with the ballista and the number of troops we have stationed. If he tries anything, he'll be chopped to pieces."

"But what about the rumors of what he did against Erik?" another one asked. "They say he crushed our best knights without a single casualty."

"Pah, just a bunch of frightened wives' tales," he said dismissively. "I wouldn't worry so much about him." As if fate itself had heard his words and wanted to throw them back in his face, a man decked in full Laus armor came running towards them, with a scarf tied around his forehead, soaked red in blood that was also smeared over his face.

"Sir Bauker, to the west… we're under attack!"

"WHAT!? By who?"

"It's the Pherean noble, Lord Eliwood. The fighting's bad, he's pushing us hard, and he managed to set fire to the ballista. We need reinforcements as soon as possible."

"That damned cur, he may be more of a thorn in our side than I thought. Alright then, if he wants a fight, then we'll give it to him. We'll prove our loyalty to Marquess Darin by crushing that Pherean whelp and his band of stragglers." Bauker then picked out ten of his men, whom he ordered to follow the runner. "Lead them back to the battle, and grab the ballista company on your way there."

"Yes sir!" the messenger saluted, before turning around with the eight men following him. He led the way at a light jog, holding his spear firmly as they moved in relative silence. After a short while, they reached the ruins of the ballista platform, and, following a very brief exchange of words, continued onward with the extra dozen men. Calis kept an iron grip on his tenseness and unease, knowing it was critical that he played his part well. Finally, they came across a patch of forest that had been chosen as the point of contact. Lyn and her allies jumped out as he lead them here, catching everyone by complete surprise, with the exception of Calis himself, the bloodied scarf around his forehead identifying him as one not of Laus. At the same time as the ambush was launched, he turned around and thrust his spear through an enemy's throat, then pulled back and quickly struck down a second one. His 'betrayal' coupled with the trap laid by the others allowed them to cut down every one of the Laus soldiers, despite the slight numerical disadvantage.

Fortunately, the plan had gone off so well that there had been no casualties, although that wasn't to say they'd escaped completely unscathed. Amongst other injuries, a sword strike had cut the militia captain just below the ribs, while Calis had taken a knife through his right hand, retaliating by grabbing the man's wrist with his other hand, then kneeing him in the chin with enough force to snap his neck. "You're lucky that the knife went in clean through your palm, instead of cutting off a finger or two," Kent said as he wrapped Calis' hand. "All the same, you did a good job."

"Thank you, Sir Kent," he replied solemnly.

"Will you be alright?" Eliwood asked as the Knight Commander of Caelin finished with Calis' wound.

"I'm well enough to fight those filthy dogs that killed my father."

Eliwood then turned towards Lyn. "Elayna and the others will have already engaged the enemy by now."

"Right," she said, nodding. "We must act swiftly and go help them. Everyone, let's move!"

* * *

"I thought you said a handful of cavalry!" Elayna shouted at Matthew.

"A bigger handful than I thought then."

Though she was not very happy at the moment, the young tactician resisted the urge to cause the thief some manner of harm. "Shut up and support the front line!"

Shortly after Elayna and the others had begun engaging the enemy in earnest, Matthew and Erk had returned, reporting the ballista as having successfully been destroyed. However, not long afterwards, the group had run into a sizeable group of soldiers, which included more than a few cavaliers. And even though Hector, Oswin, Rena, Marcus and Lowen, with support from the rest, formed a firm defensive line, the enemy, while not necessarily being troops of the highest quality, had enough cavaliers so that Elayna was more than a little annoyed.

"I hope you have a plan in mind, because we're close to getting hammered," Hector said during a break in the fighting, watching as their enemies geared up for another assault.

"At my signal, concentrate range weapons on the center of the cavalry, make them split in two. Matthew, Guy, Bartre, hamstring the horses on the left. Marcus, Lowen, Florina, provide cover and pull them back before they get overwhelmed. Rena, Rebecca, Kenshin, Erk, put everything you have into blunting the offensive on the right. Everyone fight hard, and don't even think about dying on my watch!"

The group waited tensely as their enemies finally charged again, until Elayna signalled for them to enact her plan. Rena and Rebecca loosed their arrows at the units in the middle of the line of cavalry, while Kenshin and Erk cast their respective spells. One rider was killed and two more were knocked off their steeds, but more importantly, those remaining separated in order to avoid the concentrated assault. Marcus, Lowen and Florina then broke off from the others, charging at the riders on the left, striking hard and fast to pin them down at the same time as Guy, Bartre and Matthew ran out behind them, taking advantage of the opportunity to attack the enemy riders' mounts. The second group sought to crush the mixed fighters between themselves and their beleaguered comrades, but found that option denied by a fierce volley of magic and projectile weapons.

However, despite being able to cut down more than a few horses in a short time, Marcus, Lowen and Florina were forced to pull their friends onto their mounts and rejoin the line before the Laus infantry came into play. Fortunately, the remaining Laus cavaliers were faced with the slight obstruction of the dead mounts, not to mention their reduced numbers, giving Elayna's group a bit of room to breathe. "That went well, but what now?" Matthew asked as he slipped off Lowen's horse behind the reformed defensive line, Serra rushing over to heal a nasty bruise on his arm.

"Keep a solid defense for as long as possible. When Lyn and the others come around, they'll be the hammer, and we'll be the anvil." The Laus soldiers threw themselves at the defenders yet again, seeking to overwhelm them, but were met with strength, vigor, and a fierce determination to hold out. The fight went on for almost ten minutes, until Lyn and her party smashed into their enemies like a wave crashing against the rocks, their numbers putting the odds radically against the men of Laus. Those knights and infantry remaining fought on, but were ultimately broken by the hammer and anvil formation. Not even one of them sought to surrender and ask for mercy, and so they were killed down to the last man.

"Elayna!" Lyn exclaimed once the fighting was over, throwing herself at her friend in a hug. "It's so good to see you again!"

"It's great to see you too, Lyn," Elayna replied, hugging her back, although her embrace wasn't quite as strong.

The Sacaean woman pulled back a few seconds later, taking in her friend's appearance. "My, you've certainly changed in the past year."

"Yes," Sain agreed, a wide smile on his face. "I do believe you're even more beautiful and radiant than ever before." He was promptly smacked in the back of the head by Kent, who rolled his eyes at the green knight's irrepressible behavior.

"I see certain people haven't changed a bit," Elayna noted. "However, I'd suggest we wait until taking back Castle Caelin and rescuing Lord Hausen before we take the time to catch up."

"You must already have a brilliant plan for storming the gates, hey?" Wil asked.

"Whether it's brilliant or not is subjective, but I do have a plan."

"Then let's get going," Lyn said.

* * *

Bauker blinked to clear his eyes, surprised by the sight of one woman and three men marching towards his position. He could tell that the woman was the Lady of Caelin, while one of the men was Lord Eliwood and the second was Marquess Ostia's brother. The third man he could not recognize. "Bauker!" Lyn called out when they were close enough. "I am here to save my grandfather from your Marquess' vile clutches. Step aside and you will be spared. Stand in my way, and we will cut you down."

"I'll not betray my lord's orders," Bauker replied. "And you seem to be forgetting that you're quite outnumbered here, Lady Lyndis. You won't be crossing this threshold anytime soon."

"All those men of Laus we've been fighting our way through couldn't stop us," Hector said. "What makes you think you and your little cadre will fare any better?"

"Darin abandoned his own son," Eliwood spoke up. "Surely you don't believe he'll treat you any differently? Please, enough blood has already been spilled this day. Lay down your arms and surrender peacefully."

"I'll never-" Bauker began, but stopped mid-sentence when he finally recognized the fourth member of their little party. "You!" he said, pointing at Calis. "Siding with the enemy? Traitor!"

"I was never on your side to begin with, and I'd sooner die than to serve a pile of murdering scumbags," he shot back with an angry look in his eyes.

Bauker stood still for a few second, before taking an angry determined stance with his spear held firmly in both hands. "I'm not about to surrender, and you lot don't have a chance-"

This time he was interrupted by the sound of screaming. For while the three lords and Calis were holding their enemy's attention, Florina had been able to fly around and drop Guy and Kenshin behind the men of Laus. They had then promptly killed the men operating the gates' mechanism, at which the others suddenly charged forward, cornering their enemies between them, despite the disadvantage. A few short moments later the unprepared guards were all dead, and the gates were secured.

"By Elimine's saggy breasts, I swear your skills in tactics are as sharp as ever," Kenshin said to Elayna as everyone was gathering together again. The young woman merely rolled her eyes at this, turning her attention towards Guy.

"You did well, Guy," Elayna said, giving the Sacaean swordsman a smile.

"Uh… thanks. But we couldn't have done all this without your brilliant planning."

"You're welcome. And I assure you, you are an impressive sight on the field," she added, patting him on the shoulder, which caused his cheeks to redden a little.

"I hope you can stop flirting with your love interest long enough to put that mind of yours to good use again," Matthew said teasingly.

Guy's blush deepened at this, while Elayna's cheeks became a color to match his own embarrassment. "One more word like that and I'll make you regret it, very, very much."

"Are you alright, Elayna?" Lyn asked, walking up to her friend.

"Matthew's antics aside, I'll be fine," she replied.

"That's good to hear, because I must once again ask for your help, my friend."

"You'd have my help even without having to ask."

"Thank you. Now let's take back the castle and save my grandfather."

* * *

So, thanks for reading, and if you'd be so kind as to review, that would be great. I think I'll actually go over some of my past chapters to change a few things before I start on the next update, which I will work hard on to finish in much less time than it took to complete this one.

ta ta!


	21. Chapter 19: Whereabouts Unknown

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword in anyway. ****All I do own are the characters that didn't appear in the game.**

So, I'm finally back, after too long a pause in writing, which I didn't mean to let happen.

I don't have as many things distracting me these days, and I intend to focus on this story specifically, so I'd estimate that the next chapter could come out in two weeks, possibly sooner if things go that well.

***Note:** I've been re-writing past chapters and changing a few things. I'm not done with all the modifications (took a break to write this), but here is more notable stuff so far.

1- Elayna was 18 years old at the time she met Lyn, making her 19 years old at this point.

2- She and her brother stayed with the Emerald Eagles for four years instead of only two.

3- In the beginning, she carries two daggers instead of just one.

4- Her sense of morality is a bit more gray, like in Chapter 2: The Sword and a Strange Foe, when she's holding the tongueless assassin at knife point and slits his throat, and in Chapter 5: Clerics and Mages, when she burns a horde of bandits to death by setting fire to a small forest.

5- The fighting and the battle plans employed was changed in every chapter from the prologue to chapter 5.

6- Mark, Elayna's brother, is two years older than her, as opposed to the two of them being twins.

7- Elayna's parents were killed when she was five years old, instead of three.

8- Some of the members of the Emerald Eagles shown or referred to in the flashback in chapter 4 are a little different.

* * *

The Wandering Tactician

By: Patattack

**Chapter 19: Whereabouts Unknown**

Inside Castle Caelin, Marquess Darin of Laus was currently sitting on the throne of Caelin. For his part, Lord Hausen was standing before the invading Marquess, attempting to reason with him, following the news of the main force's complete and utter annihilation. "Impossible!" Darin exclaimed once the soldier had finished delivering his message. "Even Bauker? How?"

"I don't know, my lord. But it appears that Lord Eliwood's forces have joined with Lady Lyndis and her band."

"This can't be," Darin whined as the messenger dismissed himself. "Everything's falling apart around me."

"Lord Darin," Hausen spoke up. "It's time to see reason and give up this folly. You must realize that further resistance is meaningless. You may never be forgiven for the crimes you've committed, but you can still try. If you surrender now and tell Eliwood everything, he'll surely intervene with Marquess Ostia on your behalf."

"No… I've lost… all…"

"Eliwood will be here in no time. Let me speak on your be- Guaa!" Lord Hausen found himself cut off mid speech by Ephidel, who was seemingly appeared out of nowhere and stabbed in the back.

"We'll have none of that now," the eerie man in question commented in an idle manner. "Marquess Laus has no need for such troublesome advice."

"L-Lord Ephidel?" Darin said, shocked by his actions. "What…?"

"There is no turning back now, you should know that," Ephidel replied, turning his attention towards him. "Marquess Santaruz, and now Marquess Caelin… Both their deaths lie on your head, Lord Darin."

"But… But it was by your hand that they died!" the marquess of Laus cried out. "I… I never asked for any of this!"

"Yes, I killed them, but it was for you."

"To trap me?"

"Please, don't be absurd. My only wish is to deliver your dreams to you. The crown of a united Lycia, and once that is done, dominion over the entire continent. Is that not what you desire?"

"Yes… yes of course. That dream IS still worth a few sacrifices, isn't it?"

"Exactly. Our plans may have gone terribly awry, but as long as we have my master's power behind us, we cannot be defeated. However, we should leave now, before those meddlesome insects arrive and find us here. You will need to leave all your men behind. They will be needed to delay our foe."

"All my men? But then… who will protect me?"

"Fear not, Lord Darin. The Black Fang and I will more than suffice for that task. I assure you, there is nothing for which you need to worry about."

"Yes… I see that now. Then where do we go from here?"

"To the Dragon's Gate… Our master awaits us there. You should retreat now. I must give out a few orders, and I will join you shortly after." Ephidel then turned around and walked out of the throne room. "Pathetic, deluded imbecile," he muttered once he was in the clear. "Leila? Where are you?"

A female thief with reddish hair stepped out before him, holding herself in a manner that suggested she knew what she was doing. "I'm here."

"I want you to finish off Marquess Caelin and hide and body so that Eliwood and his friends will waste precious time searching for him."

"As you command," she replied with a nod.

"You know, you've only been with the Black fang for a short while, but you are quite skilled," Ephidel commented. "I look forward to watching you."

"Yes sir," Leila said, giving him a short bow, then leaving to complete her task.

* * *

Having defeated Bauker and his soldiers guarding the entrance to Castle Caelin, Eliwood and his friends were now faced with the task of storming the Castle itself. "There are still a good number of Laus soldiers inside the castle," Eliwood said as they thought about their plan of attack.

"What about the castle guards?" Hector asked.

"I think about half of them were killed in Laus' surprise attack," Lyn answered. "The survivors must be somewhere inside the castle."

"Imprisoned in the dungeons, to be specific," Elayna spoke up as she approached the three lords. "This, Matthew just confirmed from a contact inside the castle. Another interesting tidbit, apparently Marquess Laus abandoned all his troops and fled the castle."

"Wretched, black hearted coward," Hector openly cursed.

"Do we have an idea of how many Laus soldiers are left?" Lyn asked, hands clenched in anger at being denied a chance to extract revenge on Darin.

"According to Matthew's contact, only a score and a half," Elayna said. "Logically, the commander should be holed up in the throne room with most of his men and leave a smaller bunch to keep an eye on the prisoners."

"Okay, so what's our plan of attack?" Hector asked impatiently, wanting to get to the battle.

"Divide into three groups. Lyn, Rebecca, Guy, Priscilla, Kenshin and I will go to the dungeons and rescue the prisoners. Once we re-arm any who are able to stand and fight, we'll take a passage to the throne room and attack from behind. Marcus, Lowen, Sain, Kent, Florina, Dorcas, Rena, stay here and guard the entrance. Eliwood, Hector, lead everyone else straight to the throne room and engage the enemy stationed there."

Once Elayna's orders were made clear to the others, everyone divided into their assigned groups, and with the exception of those guarding the entrance, marched into the castle. They all made their way through the halls in relative silence, not counting the noise made by clanking armor and weapons and such, until they arrived at a corridor leading down into the dungeons. Silently wishing their friends good luck, Elayna and her group separated from the others, walking towards the dungeons at a good pace. However, just as they were coming upon their destination, they found a crimson haired mercenary blocking the way forward. "Where is Hector of Ostia?" the mercenary demanded coldly, hefting his sword.

"He's not here," Guy answered, holding his sword before him, ready to spring into action. "Now move or we'll have to cut you down."

Recognition on her face, Elayna laid a hand on Guy's shoulder to hold him back, before she nudged Kenshin forward to address the mercenary. "Hector is on our side, fighting to free Caelin from Laus' control. Whatever your business with him, we need you to set it aside, Raven."

The man's eyes widened a little as he recognized the unusual bishop. "Kenshin… I'm sorry, but I won't give up just like that."

Kenshin looked back at Elayna, who had a frown on her face as she was deep in thought, her mind racing quickly, until she was suddenly struck by an idea. "Priscilla, step forward, please." Raven's face reflected his surprise at hearing the name, but not as much as when he saw the young read headed woman's face.

"Priscilla? What are you-?"

"We, including Hector, saved her from Darin's clutches when she was being held in Laus, and have been keeping her safe since then," Elayna butt in. "Keeping that in mind, you owe us, and I know you always pay your debts." Raven lowered his sword at this, bowing his head to her. "Now, tell us how many other guards there are."

"Six are waiting further ahead," Raven replied. "They're nothing special, and they still think I'm on their side."

"Take Lyn as your 'prisoner', wait until you get close, then kill them all."

"Understood," Raven said simply. Lyn, although slightly hesitant, trusted her friend's judgment and allowed the crimson haired mercenary to 'capture' her, and lead her to the cells ahead.

"How… did you do that?" Guy asked, surprised by all this.

Elayna gave the Sacaean swordsman a confident smirk along with her answer. "I know he's a stubborn man, but he cares for his own."

"And how can you trust him with Lyn's well-being?" Elayna merely remained silent at this, waiting for a moment, before leading the others into the dungeons, where they found Lyn and Raven standing over the corpses of half a dozen Laus soldiers, swords stained with blood. "That's how," she said finally.

Seeing that Raven and Lyn had no serious, or even mildly serious injuries, Elayna looked through the dead Laus soldiers' corpses for a moment until she found a key which fit unlocked the prisoners' cell. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes, Lucius," the young tactician said when she noticed the monk who'd been imprisoned with the Caelin guards.

"Elayna, it is good to see you again," he said in a relieved tone.

"Good to see you too. Now I hope you can still fight, because we're not finished with Laus yet."

* * *

After freeing the prisoners from their cells and raiding the armory, Elayna and her group, including the now armed and armored Caelin guards, along with Raven and Lucius, the latter of whom carried one of Kenshin's extra light tomes, marched through one of the castle's secret passages. They quickly navigated their way through the chosen passage with ease, and came upon the throne room while Eliwood and Hector's group was engaging the remaining Laus soldiers, cementing the odds in their favor due to the element of surprise and superior numbers. Bernard, Knight Commander of Laus, though a capable fighter in his own right, was being driven back by Hector and Eliwood. The two nobles worked effectively in tandem, Hector matching Bernard's power, while Eliwood darted around, delivering quick cuts and jabs where armor did not protect, wearing him down until the Ostian noble struck with a mighty blow to the chest, which Eliwood followed by impaling Bernard in the throat.

Caught between the two forces, and losing what little morale they had left at the sight of their commander's defeat, the remaining Laus soldiers all dropped their weapons and removed their helmets, signifying their surrender. A portion of the group, along with the Caelin guards and militia then left to escort the Laus soldiers to the dungeons, after removing their armor and making sure they had no other weapons, while a few more were sent to the entrance to inform Kent, Sain and the others about the outcome of the battle. Elayna, Lyn, Eliwood, Hector and Matthew remained behind in the throne room at the time that the female thief Leila walked in and made her appearance. "Greetings, lord Hector," she said, bowing to him.

"Leila? What're you doing here?"

"I assume you know this woman?" Eliwood asked.

"Yes, her name's Leila," he answered. "She… works for Ostia."

"She's a spy, isn't she?" Elayna spoke up.

"… How did you know that?"

"For one, you just confirmed it right now. And for another, you introduced her much in the same manner as you did for Matthew, who most of us already know, is a spy." Elayna merely smirked at the expression Matthew made from the look Lyn gave him.

"The Tactician Elayna, Lady Lyndis of Caelin and Lord Eliwood of Pherae, correct? Pleased to make your acquaintance. Lady Lyndis, Marquess Caelin was stabbed by Ephidel, but still lives, and is receiving treatment for his wounds."

"Father Sky and Mother Earth! Thank you for your mercy," Lyn exclaimed.

"You still haven't told us why you're here," Hector reminded her.

"I'm following Lord Uther's orders, and investigating Marquess Pherae's disappearance."

"My father!? What have you learned?" Eliwood demanded.

"Please, follow me. We should discuss this in private." Leila then lead them, minus Matthew who slipped away elsewhere, to a chamber away from the throne room, where she waited to be sure they were private before speaking up again. "I'll begin with my conclusion. Marquess Pherae is alive."

"That's wonderful," Lyn said.

"Woo hoo!" Hector exclaimed.

"Are you certain of this?" Eliwood asked, relieved to hear the news, but still wanting reassurance.

"Yes. I've been posing as a member of the Black Fang for several months now." Elayna frowned unhappily at the mention of the league of assassins. "That's where I got this information. I believe it to be true."

"Black Fang…" Eliwood muttered. "They're the assassins Erik spoke of. What do you know of them?"

"The Black Fang is a guild of assassins founded about ten years ago by Brendan Reed, based in Bern. Their arms reached quite quickly in other countries. In the beginning, they only went after nobles who abused their positions. The masses saw them as chivalrous, defenders of the common man. Their activities found much support. Then about a year ago, Brendan re-married, and the Fang's operations have changed slowly since then. Now, they'll take any target, however difficult, as long as they're paid. And they no longer kill only criminals. To them, anyone is a fair target."

"Not to demean your efforts," Elayna spoke up. "But being born in Bern myself, I could have told you this. Do you have anything else?"

"Yes. I've learned of a mystery man named Nergal, who's using Reed's wife to pull his strings. He has the Black Fang performing tasks for him across Lycia. One of Nergal's retainers is Ephidel, who was assigned to Marquess Laus. He manipulated Darin into hatching the plot for rebellion against Ostia. The first to answer his call for rebellion was Marquess Santaruz. Next… was Marquess Pherae."

"You're telling me that my father approved of this mad man's plan?" Eliwood asked, stunned.

"I cannot say, but I do know that he is currently in a place called the Dragon's Gate, on an isle called Valor, off the southern coast of Lycia. Unfortunately, that is all the information I have for now."

"Valor? I've never heard that name before," Elayna muttered.

"What kind of place is it?" Lyn inquired.

"People say that those who step foot on it never return," Hector answered. "It's more commonly known as the Dread Isle."

Elayna's expression suddenly became somber at this. "… Oh."

"But if that's where they've taken my father, then I will go there and find him," Eliwood said determinedly. "And this Dragon's Gate too!"

"I'm going with you, and you can't stop me," Hector stated immediately.

"I'll be going as well."

"Lyndis, I appreciate the sentiment, but shouldn't you…"

"Darin must be stopped, or else he could target my grandfather again." Lyn paused for a second, as if thinking about something. "I also wish to help Eliwood's father. "Losing a parent… that's something I'd rather you didn't have to experience yet."

"I'm coming too," Elayna said flatly, her tone brooking no argument. "I'm sure my tactics will come in handy in trying to keep you all alive."

"Lyndis… Hector… Elayna… thank you all."

"I will also continue searching, and try to let you know if I find out anything else," Leila pitched in. "But for now, I believe it would be wise to let the world think Marquess Caelin is dead for now."

"Thank you," Lyn said.

"Leila," Hector spoke up again. "Nergal and this… Ephidel… what are they like?"

"I've yet to lay eyes on Nergal, but I've spoken to Ephidel several times. He's… eerie. He always wears a cloak around him, and his eyes, they're… golden. He has jet black hair, his skin is unusually pale, and overall he seems… inhuman."

Elayna felt a small chill crawl up her spine as she recalled a particular incident, back during her days of being with the Emerald Eagles. Seeing that they were done, she excused herself and left the room, along with Lyn and Leila. At Lyn's request, the Ostian spy lead the lady of Caelin towards where her grandfather was being tended to, while Elayna went her own way. The young tactician walked down the halls by herself until she found the one she was looking for. "Raven, I need a word with you alone for a moment," she spoke to the red headed mercenary, who left Priscilla behind with Lucius and followed a short ways further. "I'll be blunt, I know about Cornwell."

Raven's eyes widened a fraction in surprise. "How did you find out?"

"Priscilla was generous with her answers when I applied a touch of gentle and subtle questioning." Raven frowned a little at this. "Gentle and subtle questioning, not torture. Look, the point is that as long as you and your sister are with us, you need to forget about your hostility towards Hector, or at least stay from him as I see fit. Understood?"

"Understood," Raven said, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

"Good." Leaving him behind, she continued walking through the castle by herself, passing through the kitchens to snatch a bread roll. As she left the castle proper and wandered around in the courtyard, thoughts mulling over things from the Black Fang, to her brother, the Emerald Eagles and more, she happened to hear voices coming from up ahead. Silently, she crept forward until she could see Matthew and Leila standing together, and listen in on their conversation.

"What have you been doing these days?" Matthew inquired in a light hearted tone. "More dangerous work?"

"Of course, we're spies, Matthew. Everything we do is dangerous."

"True enough. So how long do you think this mission will last?"

"Both our objectives are the same, to rescue Marquess Pherae. Assuming things go well, I should be back in Ostia at the same time as you are."

"Really? In that case, you need to visit my hometown."

"Is this where you were born? Why?"

"So I can introduce you to my parents."

"What? Matthew…" Leila began, but was interrupted.

"Well, that's that. See you around," Matthew said, before giving her a quick peck on the cheek and running off.

Leila shook her head at this, apparently amused by his behavior. "As slippery as ever… Didn't even wait for my reply."

"Yes, he has a habit of being annoying like that," Elayna spoke up, stepping out into the open, surprising the Ostian spy with her sudden appearance.

"You… I didn't expect this of you."

"Neither did I expect that Matthew had someone he was quite so enamored with," Elayna replied, smirking when Leila blushed. "There's no need to worry, I simply intend to get back at Matthew for his relentless teasing."

Leila laughed a little at this. "That sounds just like him, although he does seem to have an eye for these sorts of things. Tell me, who's the other victim he's been using to tease you?"

"His name is Guy, of the Kutolah."

"Ah yes, the Sacaean swordsman. He seems a bit young, but I have to admit, he's not bad looking. Have you considered being with him?"

"Well… the idea has a certain appeal, even beyond just trying to get Matthew off my back. And I must confess that I find Guy rather handsome. You won't tell Matthew that I said any of this, yes?"

"As long as you promise to refrain from teasing me, then I think we can come to some sort of arrangement."

"I believe we can," Elayna said, the two women shaking hands in agreement. "Not that Matthew will be spared any manner of embarrassment I can think of." Leila chucked in amusement. The young tactician went back into the castle proper, where she searched for Kent and Sain, finding the two of them in the kitchens with Wil.

"Lady Elayna, your radiance is so purely astounding, I can scarcely-"

"One, don't call me lady. And two, please shut up."

"How may we be of service, Elayna?" Kent inquired.

"You know that man in the militia named Calis?"

"Yes indeed."

"I'd like you to tell me what you can about him, particularly how he performed while in the midst of the fighting." Kent, Sain and Wil proceeded to talk about Calis, who was, apparently, the strongest and toughest member of the militia. They all pitched in their point of view of his fighting skills, as demonstrated during the first series of fighting, while Wil described what he could of the final skirmish in the throne room. When they were finished, Elayna nodded in interest. "I want him with us once we all leave to pursue Darin. Judging from his appearance and what you've told me, he'd make an excellent armored knight, which we could certainly use on our journey."

"Are you sure?" Wil asked, a little curious.

"Very. Of course, I don't expect him to be quite as good Wallace right at the beginning, but he already has the strength and constitution to bear the same armor. Sain, Wil, I'd like you to ask Calis to join, and if you have difficulty convincing him, let me know. And Kent, I'd like for you to speak with Oswin about training him, and getting him the armor he'll need."

"It shall be done," Kent assured her.

"Much obliged."

* * *

Later in the day, the entire group gathered in the grand hall for the evening meal, including most of the militia, who had been invited as thanks for their help. The meal passed without anything out of the ordinary happening. Elayna and the leaders of their group gathered together to plan for their oncoming journey. After discussing it for a while, they decided that they would travel directly to the port town of Badon, where they would search for a ship and crew who'd be willing to give them passage to Valor. Elayna, having heard more than a couple stories about the haunted island, secretly dreaded trying to find a crew crazy enough to ferry them over, and loyal enough to bring them back.

After they were through with planning, having decided that they would be leaving the next morning, Elayna stood up from her seat, and went to speak with Calis. "Have you decided to join us?" she asked.

"Yes, I will join your group, and hopefully avenge my father."

Elayna nodded at this. "Very well then. My name is Elayna, the Tactician and leader in combat of this crew. So follow my orders, and I'll see to it you make it out alive. And once the time is right, if you so desire, I believe Sir Kent would be pleased if you would become a full-fledged knight of Caelin."

"Thank you, Lady Elayna."

Feeling rather tired after the long day, Elayna then bade her friends goodnight, walked out of the dining hall to her room and collapsed onto the bed. She drifted off to sleep shortly after lying down, just as her thoughts were drifting towards Guy, the Sacaean Swordsman invading her dreams that night.

* * *

So, I hope it was worth the wait, or at least that it was just good, and please review, because it would be much appreciated.


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